The Beast
by rakill
Summary: Based on Beauty and the Beast in a very dark, twisted and very erotic version. Kagome is set on finding the most feared warlord that has taken her brother as hostage and she is set on doing anything for his freedom, even if that means she gives up hers.[Won second place in both Best Horror story and Lemon]
1. Negotiation

A/N: It has come to my attention from a very rude review I received that I no longer accept guest reviews. Because of this person they have taken away that privilege from everyone else. So in response to the person whomever you are: You are that low to not sign in to your account and leave any contact information for me to respond to your flaming. You are not aware of my lifestyle and the things that has happened within the year of me writing this story. I was going to school and that came first. I was going through other problems that is none of your business. I still come back to the story and fix errors and add details to it for MYSELF. This story is MY baby and by the end of the story I was getting burnt out and needed it to end. WHICH DOES NOT mean that it will not be fixed up at a later date. Thank you for making yourself look like a fool and wasting my time with reading your worthless review.  
>I apologize to those who read this story (Or starting to read this story). This story is being fixed up when I can. My laptop is broken and currently in the process of being fixed. I would gladly accept your reviews but will not accept flaming, you will be reported if you flame. (Read the review the guest so kindly left behind as example.) I do not understand why people have to be so hateful over someone else's work. If it was so bad then why did it win second place in best Horror and best Lemon? Why do I have so many followers and favorites and such great people leaving reviews that pushed me forward? Just saying.<p>

Enjoy the story. :)

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><p>Chapter One<p>

"_Negotiation"_

Kagome felt exhaustion from her three day travel wash over her as she sagged in her saddle. She brightened up slightly as her destination rose before her, still out of reach but finally visible. She had heard horror stories of this kingdom that would deter anyone with a brain from going near it. It was said that a beastly warlord locked himself in this castle, away from all civilization. He had not ever been seen outside of his lands but had been spotted by the few men who dared to travel across the warlord's lands to see if the rumors were true. Some of those men never returned and some others would return injured and on the brink of death saying their 'insignificant' lives have been spared so that they might tell others to never trespass onto the beast's lands.

Looming in the distance was a castle that sat on top of the hill, surrounded by masses of dark clouds and swirling snow that came out of nowhere and fell directly into Kagome's face, making her nearly blind. She caught glimpses of the old rough looking castle as she peered her head up from the shawl she had donned to hide her face from the relentless snow. The castle itself looked as if it had been there for a very long time remain for centuries more. It had enormous towers that disappeared beyond the clouds, which swirled around the castle in a threatening manner.

Tucking her head back into her shawl to keep her face from going numb, Kagome hissed at her horse to move faster. The horse let out a breezy, tired whine as it started to slow down from its walk and then it stopped moving altogether. She felt herself tremble and she knew part of it was because she was cold but also from the horse shaking from exhaustion. Kagome let out a yell as the horse started to stagger and then fell into the knee high snow, bringing her down with it. Letting out yet another yelp from the cold wet snow that engulfed most of her body, Kagome struggled to get up and brush as much snow from her soaked clothes as possible. The wind beat at her body and whistled in her ears so loudly that she feared she would go deaf.

Once she got her bearing, Kagome reached down with her gloved hands and stroked her black mare's neck knowing she would have to leave the horse here and hope to find her when she returned from her visit. "I'm sorry Missy. I pushed you too hard, but I have to continue on foot. Take care of yourself." She whispered to her mare gently. Kagome straightened up and then started on foot towards the ominous castle in the distance, pushing hard against the wind that tried to get her to turn around and go back where she came from.

I have to get to the castle and see if my brother really is there. I have to get my brother back.

Kagome shivered as another strong gust of wind battered her numb body still relentless on trying to push her away from her destination, but only made her push back harder.

It felt like hours had passed for Kagome as she continued to fight against the wind and the cold. She peered up to see how close she was to getting to the castle only to find it still taunting her far off in the distance. Kagome felt her heart drop and she choked back a cry. She knew that she had been walking for a long time and yet somehow the castle seemed no closer. She stopped in her tracks and looked around to confirm how far she had traveled. Behind her there was nothing but her sunken boot prints in the snow, and a forest surrounded her on all sides.

Further in the distance Kagome could see nothing but snow and hills, and she hoped that her horse had wandered off to a more sheltered location. Satisfied that she had indeed traveled far, Kagome turned her eyes back to the castle and tucked her face back into her shawl. For a moment she hesitated, wondering whether she turn back around and give up, or keep moving forward and die trying to find her brother. She took one step forward and then another, and resolved that she would rather die trying to save someone she loved than take the coward's way out by giving up.

As Kagome finally drew closer to the castle the wind blew much harsher against her already frail body and the howling and whistles in her ears never ceased. Trying to keep her mind off of the numbing pain of the cold, she thought of her family back at home in their small town. The sun was starting to go down leaving the sky orange, pink and purple so she knew her family was probably preparing for dinner. Her mouth watered as she thought of her mother's cooking. She thought of having a sweet honeyed ham with sweet potatoes and greens, followed by a glass of red wine. Kagome's stomach growled in anticipation of the food she imagined she could be eating at this moment, but she knew she would have to disappoint herself another night and settle for the stale bread she had brought on her journey.

Another howl rang in Kagome's ears and snapped her out of her reverie. Her eyes went wide as she lifted her head and looked around herself as she stopped walking. The other howls had sounded like the cries of the wind, but this one sounded more like an animal.

"That was close…" She whispered to herself as she continued to scan her surroundings. Her hair whipped around her face and into her sore eyes, only irritating her vision further. She quickly brushed it away, but her efforts were fruitless; strands of hair continued to escape from Kagome's shawl and obscure her vision. Her breathing began to quicken as another howl sounded, much closer to her, in response to a call in the distance.

Kagome began to walk again and tried to pick up the pace the knee high snow made her movements frustratingly sluggish, as if she were walking through wet cement. She let out a loud gasp as she heard a rustling over the wind that came from her right. She turned her head towards the direction where the sound came from as she pressed forward, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Please, please, Kami just let me make it to the castle," Kagome chanted softly to herself as she continued to walk and scan her surroundings. She walked for a good ten minutes without any more distractions but then a snarl sounded immediately to her right and she whipped her whole body toward the sound. A scream left Kagome's body as she came face to face with a huge white dog about the size of a horse. Its lips were curled back over its sharp teeth, its blood red eyes staring right at her. The dog snarled at her and licked at its teeth, showing her that it was prepared to completely ravage her body.

Kagome's azure eyes were wide with fright as screams left her mouth of their own accord. She stood frozen in place staring at the dog that was still growling and had drool dropping from its thin black lips down to the pure white snow with a hiss. She swallowed hard and took one step back before bolting towards the castle, screaming the whole way. Heavy stomps pounded behind her that let her know the creature was in hot pursuit and in no hurry to give up its prey.

After what seemed like ages of screaming Kagome's voice cracked and that pause in noise broke the spell terror had placed on her. She took no more time to take in the demon dog's presence and instead bolted toward the castle as quickly as her legs could carry her through the thick snow. Her shawl whipped about her face once before the wind tore it completely from her person and claimed it as a prize.

Please Kami, I swear I will give blessings every day from now on so as long as you let me live and not become dog food!, Kagome screamed in her head as she ran. The pounding behind her got closer and closer and a sinking feeling engulfed her as she realized there was no way she could outrun the dog. Kagome heard a growl and felt hot breath warming the exposed skin of her neck, followed by a snap of jaws that only missed her because she tripped over her feet and fell sliding in the snow. The large dog hurdled past her as she fell, propelled forward by the momentum from its strike.

Despite her narrow escape from death, Kagome had no time to rest. The dog let out a snarl of displeasure at its miss as it turned around and started back towards her while she scrambled to get to her feet. She ducked past the vicious dog and her heart leapt as she saw that she was no more than ten feet away from the front doors of the castle. She almost cried in relief at the sight of the imposing structure and ran with all the strength she could muster to the front doors. She heard the snarls closing in quickly behind her as she opened the doors and threw herself inside, slamming them shut the moment she was through.

Kagome backed away from the doors slowly, afraid that any sudden movement on her part would allow the dog to break through. After some time the pounding ceased and the only sound Kagome could hear was her heavy breathing and the wind lashing at the window panes and the subtle creaking of the castle. Turning around she faced the open room that was dark and dusty from a lack of housekeeping. As she calmed her breathing she started to move slowly through the room towards a hallway, taking in her surroundings with nervous wonder.

"Hello? I'm looking for my brother. I was told that he would be here…" she called out hoping someone would answer. She looked into a room to her left that was dark and showed no signs of ever being occupied, and then continued her exploration of the castle.

A soft ting from the winding staircase made her jump, but she followed the sound in the hopes of spotting a servant or anyone who could tell her where her brother might be. "Hello?" she repeated softly as she made her way up the staircase. She could now see that it was lit by candles that were almost burned out, with the wax melted down and hanging over the candle sticks.

As Kagome reached the top of the staircase she noticed that only a faint glimmer of light could be seen, coming from a candle that was burned down to almost nothing and flickering wildly. Her eyes adjusted to the near darkness and gave a little gasp of surprise as she saw that the whole floor was full of cells. Kagome knew this must be one of the many towers she had seen from outside the castle, and this was one tower she didn't really want to be in.

"Hello?" She called softly as she took one timid step forward.

"Kagome! What are you doing here?" A pair of hands stuck out of a cell that was down the hall. She knew that voice to be her brother's and she almost wept when she heard it.

"Souta!" Kagome called, relief settling her nerves as she ran towards his cell. She fell to her knees as she took hold of his hands and held onto them for dear life. "Your hands are so cold! What has he done to you?" She asked angrily.

"You gotta get out of here, Kagome. This place isn't safe for you! He will take you too!" Souta's face was pale and his lips were cracked with dry blood, but his eyes were what really startled Kagome. They were wide with horror and in their depths were an emptiness reserved for only those who had experienced something truly terrifying.

"No I'm not leaving here without you! I didn't come all this way through a blizzard just to give up when you're finally in my grasp. "

"What are you doing here wench!" Kagome started at a deep growl that reverberated throughout the empty cells, and screamed as she felt a hand grab her and pull her away from her little brother.

The man grabbed her by the back of her clothes and threw her to the opposite side of the hallway, causing her body to slam into the bars of an empty cell. She groaned in pain as she slowly righted herself into a sitting position, she squinted her eyes to see the dark figure that now stood before her brother's prison. The figure moved toward her in two long strides and grabbed her by the hair before she could recover from the shock of his attack.

"You should have known better than to trespass on the master's lands, little girl! You are one stupid bitch for coming here," he growled in her face, his rotting breath making her gag involuntarily.

Coughing, Kagome tried to pull her head away from the man's iron grip. "I didn't mean any harm! I came to get my little brother back! Please, can't you see he is ill? Let him go!" She begged, only to receive another growl and more rancid breath in her face.

"He is of none of your concern anymore…" the man snarled, "If I were you, I would be more concerned about yourself." He then yanked her to her feet and dragged her back down the stairs she had climbed to reach the top of the tower.

The shadowed man pulled Kagome through a maze of hallways with such a long stride that it was impossible for her to use her own feet to walk. She yelled and tried to get out of his grasp but he only shook her and snarled at her as he continued to drag her along. They came to a sudden stop and Kagome was finally able to balance herself and stand steady on her feet. She was in a room that was lit by a fireplace and had two candles on each side of it, which helped to illuminate just a little more of the vast space.

There were two huge master chairs that were partly in shadow and were placed on top of a fur rug with the head of a tiger. There was a desk off to the left that was neatly organized with papers and pens, and a map that Kagome eyed hopefully. Her attention abruptly shifted from the map to a man as he stood up from the desk and made his way slowly towards them, lingering in the shadows. He stood at least six feet tall and his silhouette was slender. He almost appeared feminine with his long hair that flashed silver as the light of a flickering candle struck it, but Kagome had caught a glimpse of a strong chin and was certain of the stranger's gender.

Kagome's captor pushed her towards the shadows where the new figure stood watching. "My Lord, I found this girl sneaking around in the dungeon tower like a rat, talking to the prisoner!"

Kagome stood in place and tried not to let fear overtake her. She felt her knees shaking and her heart rattling around in her chest, and swallowed in a vain attempt to appear calm. Kagome still couldn't see the Lord's face but his eyes were fixed on her and she could see that they were a striking golden color that couldn't possibly be real.

"Leave." The Lord's soft baritone voice broke through the silence and startled Kagome even further. She turned her head to the shuffling behind her and saw her captor give a low bow then quickly leave the room, closing the door behind him.

Kagome refocused on the imposing warlord, who stood silent and staring, and found herself wishing the other man had stayed.

After a few uncomfortable and very silent minutes, Kagome decided that perhaps she was expected to speak. The man had continued to stare at her, unabashed, and his golden eyes chilled her more than the blizzard outside had. "I didn't mean any harm coming here," she said timidly, "I only came to find my brother and return him home. Please understand," she begged softly.

"Hn," was all the response she got, but the warlord finally moved, morphing into the darkness with a few short strides. In a matter of seconds she could no longer see his silhouette.

"He is sick and looks like death! You have to let him go!" Kagome continued to beg.

"Why should I care about the welfare of a human boy?" A deep baritone voice echoed from the darkness and then the warlord's golden eyes were once again fixed on Kagome with an unnerving steadiness.

Kagome's brave face began to slip as she realized things weren't going her way. She thought the Lord of this castle would at least have some consideration for someone's health, but perhaps he was not a reasonable man after all. "If you don't care about him, then release him! He doesn't need to be here. He did nothing wrong." Kagome knew she was grasping at straws, but maybe this man would at least be willing to throw her and Souta out into the blizzard rather than deal with her protests.

However, the Lord remained silent and Kagome found her fear turning to frustration. "Please I will do anything! Just release him so he can go home and heal."

"Hn." Kagome heard the Lord take a few steps and then his silhouette materialized again. His body was now exposed to the light but his face was still hidden in the darkness, aside from those golden eyes which seemed more like an animal's than a person's. He was wearing an all-white outfit made for only royal blood. His pants were loose, but not loose enough to completely conceal the definition of strong, muscled thighs. His feet were adorned in black boots that covered the bottom part of his white pants. Around his shoulder hung a red cape and a golden breast plate clung to his chest, covering the white jacket beneath it almost entirely. "You. For the boy."

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at this stranger's words, but when her blue eyes met his golden ones she quickly averted her gaze. "You promise to send him back home safely?" she whispered, not quite sure why she wasn't making a bigger deal about the man's proposal. How could she just accept such a dim fate without further complaint? Was it truly all for the sake of her brother?

"Hn," was the Lord's only response, and Kagome chose to take it as an affirmative.

Letting out a shaky breath, she nodded, "Very well," she whispered as she fixed her eyes on her feet. She was suddenly terrified again, wondering what possible use this powerful man could have for a girl like her. Outside a blizzard raged and wild demon dogs roamed free. In her mind Kagome vowed to see her brother off as he left this place. She needed to see with her own eyes that he would be accompanied by someone who would keep him safe on his journey back home: after all, Kagome had nearly died coming here herself.

"You may stay in your brother's place under one condition…" she heard his voice come closer to her but her eyes stayed frozen to her feet. "You will do everything I bid you to do, is that understood?"

Kagome slowly looked up and locked eyes with the devil she had just struck a deal with. She let out a little yelp and scrambled backwards, nearly tripping over her own feet as she saw the face of the man before her. His eyes were wide and red, and took up too much of his face, and his mouth was slightly elongated into a snout. His teeth were pointed fangs, all of them, and his silver hair seemed to float about him as if electricity was crackling through it. He had two magenta stripes that were jagged on each cheek that framed the corners of his thin lips and a blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. His hands were tipped with claws that glowed a sinister green, and his overall appearance was that of the worst kind of demon.

Kagome blinked and suddenly the man standing before her was beautiful. His eyes were golden and his mouth was perfect and very sensuous. The stripes on each cheek started from his hairline and stopped at the bottom of his cheek bone and his claws were normal hands. For a moment Kagome questioned her sanity and wondered why she had seen a monster in the place of this beautiful man. "I understand," she replied.


	2. First Lesson: Manners

A/N: This chapter had been edited as of today (1-30-13) and I added a little more details, thoughts and things like that as well as fixing some grammar errors. There will probably still be errors in it, but hopefully not as much as it was before.

**Warning:** This chapter contains Slave/Master situations as well as some adult situations.

Chapter Two

_"First Lesson: Manners"_

The cold warlord scrutinized the peasant looking girl that stood shuddering before him. Her eyes were wide then a yelp sounded from her that would have been silent to anyone, but to his keen ears he picked it up as if it were a scream. His sharp eyes watched as she scrambled back, shuffling her worn leather boots against the floor with gentle scraping noises and nearly tripped over herself in her haste to quickly move away from him. It was no surprise with the reaction he received from the girl. It was always something he received from anyone who would dare lay their eyes upon him. Even after all this time, it still felt as if a knife through his chest from the reactions.  
>In just one blink, her energies around her changed. Just like that, she had become calm and for unknown reasons and bewildered, he could sense her attraction to him. Was the girl attracted to such ugliness? He had once been proud of who he was, until the dreadful day that he met his demise of ending up in the curse that was put upon him as well as others that were close to him. Thoughts fleeted through his mind of what the girl thought of him and how she has seen him as; why did she steady her emotions and calm down? Why hadn't she screamed in terror when she set eyes upon him? Why hadn't she turn around and ran out of the cursed castle he had been stuck in for centuries? He narrowed his eyes at his own thoughts and even insecurities. He still was the attractive being he once used to be, but only on the inside. Only he and the servants knew what he had looked like in the past, but the unfortunate that had dwelt there… either on purpose or accident had the luxury of meeting his animalistic being not knowing what he had looked like in the past. Some survived his wrath… and some weren't so fortunate.<p>

His eyes lingered over the young girl, starting from her head first. She had raven wind-blown hair that waved down past her shoulders that looked damp in some areas from where the snow had melted. Her eyes were slightly slanted but the blue depths of her eyes burned into his very core. This being had never got the chills, but the fierce look in her eyes gave him a few chills and no one in a long time had been able to do that to him. Her skin was pale like snow but her cheeks were flushed pink from the bitter coldness she was more than likely still coming out of from. Her tiny nose tilted up just a little and was flushed just like her cheeks. Her lips were curved, although she was trying to look serious, they still lifted just a little into a small hidden smile. Plump and very kissable, her lips were pale from the cold and simply from dehydration from her travels to get there to him. Her upper lip jutted out just a little more than her lower lip, a simple imperfection but beautiful on this fair girl.  
>Travelling his eyes downward, his eyes gazed over her slim long neck down to the bust of her chest that was greatly covered from her tattered brown peasant looking dress. The dress hung loosely against her form and hid the treasures underneath from his view. His eyes flickered to her skinny arms that were trembling from his gaze, her gloved hands balled tight into fists by her sides. He moved on and took in her worn and beaten boots she wore that might have been passed down from generations in her family. Altogether he guessed she was still in her teens. The girl was courageous for seeking out his well-protected and very well hidden palace, for him, to find her brother. She was also naïve and very human and he couldn't fathom why she would be fatuous to give herself away so easily in place of her brother. It would have to be something he will later investigate as to why.<p>

To him, the girl was very natural and wild looking, as if she belonged in the wild as the beautiful creature that she was. But she was beneath him and even though there was that, there was a part of that screamed out for her. He reined back his beast inside him that awoke from its slumber and stretched and pawed gently inside, he had to remind himself that he shall never lower himself to her kind. She was now in place of her slave brother and she will be nothing more to him than a slave and do anything he wishes her to do. The beast inside him had a feral grin, knowing exactly what kind of carnal biddings this 'natural' girl can do to help. His claws flexed into a tight fist as he stared at the girl who stared straight back at him waiting for his word, the flush on her cheeks started to fade with each passing moment. It had been centuries since he had a woman in his chambers and he was not going to let this naïve girl get to him.

His features had not changed as he gave her the once over and got lost in his own thoughts as well as the inner battle with his beast. He was not going to come undone just because he has now seen a young girl, fresh meat to quell his primal and male needs of the moment that has built over time. But it also did not mean that he missed it yearned the soft skin of a female. But she was merely human and never in his existence had he touched a human girl. There never was a reason to when there were far more beauties in his race that a human girl could not meet up to. But the cowering female who stood before him was a beauty and he had to admit that she was a gem. _Oh yes, a prize indeed to take,_ the inner beast snarled and grinned, _she had agreed to your terms of doing anything you wish or say. Take her as your love slave. We both shall benefit. _The warlord's face even though was set in stone… his eye twitched in irritation from the demon that lies beneath the surface. Should he have a morsel of the girl, he would not be able to stop and there would be some disgust on his part for using a human in that way. It was beneath him and the inner beast should know that.  
>He averted his harsh gaze from the girl that stood frozen like a deer from his long penetrating stare. Slowly he started to walk toward her then past to the door that led out of the room they occupied. The sweet smell of her fragrance of the earth, spices and also her emotions swirled around him in an intoxicating fume. Quickly he got high from all the scents that came to his nose from the girl that had made him stiffen from the uncomfortable feeling it gave him. Was it really the right choice to take her in as a slave? Would he indeed regret keeping a female in his castle? Centuries ago, he had never taken prisoners from the surrounding villages he had once protected, but because of him being shunned and seen as the horrible beast that he was turned to… they had tried to take his life and he would not allow it. So he took prisoners then tortured them until they got the message and would be sent off to fend themselves and hopefully make it back to spread the word to never trespass again or they shall receive the same punishment. But would he treat such a young girl the same way? She indeed had bad manners and this was the first of him torturing a woman. Perhaps he would be gentle in his ways.<p>

"Come." His soft baritone voice beckoned.

He did not have to wait as he walked out of the room to hear her staggering steps following closely behind. Her sweet fragrance was still stuck in his nostrils as he strolled through the palace; he separated each scent he got from her. Fear, lust, confusion, ambition were the most that he got from her. Such a strange mixture. He pushed aside the scent of her emotions and took in her natural smell of spices and earthly scents. It was sweet like ginger mixed with the smell of jasmine and musk; the must indeed added the earthly tones to it and made it much more intoxicating and made him want more. This girl truly might have been a mistake to keep here, he though angrily to himself.

Her footsteps behind were light but very ungraceful that broke him out of his musings. He averted his eyes to the side to get a small glance of her behind him that followed willingly, her shuddering had started again. Her hands were held tightly against her chest, as if she were protecting something. Was she perhaps protecting her heart? He snorted inwardly and looked back ahead. Her protecting her heart from him was futile, if he wanted it that was. _Oh yes,_ the inner beast purred. He had no desire for her heart. The corner of his lip turned up into a little smirk as he heard her stagger, sounding as if she almost tripped over her own feet. The girl was weak from her travel but he knew also that she was just plain clumsy. Proper does not come to his mind when it comes to this girl, far from it in fact. His smirk had grown a little more as he thought of the girl being chased by his guardians of his land. He could see the girl tripping and falling every few feet trying to get away from the large demon dogs he had guarding the perimeter as well as the inside of the perimeter.

Once again, his thoughts broke but this time because they had reached the top of the tower of the dungeons. He strode over to the only cell that had someone in it, forgetting all about the girl that had filled all his thoughts the whole journey up to the tower. As he approached the bolted cell, the human boy cowered back on hand and foot, scrambling away until his back reached the other side of the cell. His wide brown eyes met with the warlord's red gaze. Terror filled the young man's eyes as he stared at the beast. That was the reaction he should have gotten from the girl, but hadn't. Why?

"What are you going to do to me?!" The boy yelled with a trembling voice, a few placed cracked and in the perfect place enticing the beast's excitement. _Torture, kill, maim…_ it chanted in his head.

Ignoring the chants in his head, he unlocked the bolt to the cell and started to slowly open it but only to be pushed to the side violently as the girl pushed herself between him and the way to get to the human boy.

"Souta!" The girl yelled as she threw herself into her brother's arms.

The warlord righted himself and narrowed his eyes at the girl that was cradling her little brother, both crying and trying to speak at the same time. How dare she push him to the side? Understandably the girl does not know or realize what he is capable of, but he would do to remind her of the fears she felt when she first saw him!

"Souta, I thought I would never see you again." He heard the girl whisper to the boy as she gave him a gentle squeeze, both knowing if she squeezed too hard she just might break him.

"I'm sorry Kagome, I got lost on the travel back to our town and ended up here and taken." The boy explained in a hushed voice, but the warlord's keen ears picked up on the hushed conversation that was supposed to be between the two. "Is he releasing us?" he whispered and gave a timid glance toward the warlord who stood silently watching them with narrowed piercing eyes.

It struck the warlord at that moment that even though now he knew her name to be Kagome, she was at first scared of him, but then she calmed down. With this boy, her brother, he has looked at him the same way each and every time. It interested him very much and made him ponder back to his past of when he had seen women who had come to his palace, who screamed the first time and afterwards wouldn't look right at his face. But Kagome had looked straight at him the whole time he had given her the long once over and then back to her face to find her still staring at him and strangely calm about it. He had grown used to being looked upon as the monster he appeared to be, but what unsettled him was the fact that Kagome stared at him with her deep azure eyes, never faltering in that deep penetrating stare, as if she could stare right through him. He narrowed his eyes at the thought of a human girl giving him these feelings, these thoughts.

After he had grown impatient with waiting as well with his thoughts, he interrupted the rejoined siblings before Kagome could answer her brother's question with an upsetting answer that would probably keel the boy over. The warlord strode into the cell, pushed Kagome to the side and grabbed the sick boy by the back of his dirty shirt, who started to kick and scream as the lord dragged him out of the cell.

"Enough, you are leaving." The lord's silky voice spoke over the boy's wailing.

The boy continued to squirm and scream, trying to get out of the grasp as he strode out of the cell, with Kagome following behind him screaming for him to be released. The lord turned, with the boy still in his grasp, he closed the cell before Kagome was able to pass through and out of the cell, locking her in where once her brother resided in.

They both met eyes, her angry blue eyes meeting with his demonic red eyes, "What is this?! I can't even say goodbye?!" Kagome screamed, piercing his sensitive ears.

Annoyed, he narrowed his eyes, forgetting about the squirming, crying boy in his grasp as he still met Kagome's unwavering gaze that challenged him. He pushed the boy toward the cell to show Kagome her brother one last time, "_This_ is your goodbye." His voice never changed tones but he watched as she shivered. She looked away from his challenging eyes and to her brother's wide doe eyes full of tears. The lord turned and strode down the tower's steps ignoring the screams and pleas from the now locked up Kagome.

"Kagome." The boy whimpered in his pitiful fits.

The warlord got the boy outside, who was still squirming and crying-who seemed have a strange spike in his energy when he was deathly looking—for him to be released and to see his sister. There was already a horse waiting with one of the lord's men mounted, ready to take the boy back to his town and forever away from his lands. He will be one of the lucky ones to pass on tales of how he survived of the beast's clutches, but his story will be a little different than others. His sister saved him; otherwise he would have eventually ended up dead like all the others.

"Take him home." He ordered Naomi as he shoved the boy onto the mount.

He turned away from the crying cry and headed straight back inside his palace, feeling a sick excitement inside. He now had a new prisoner, normal looking girl, but enough to entertain him. His inner beast opened its mouth wanting to roar in its own excitement, clawing and pushing the lord to indulge them for once, even if for a morsel. It all conflicted against his better judgment and made him ponder on what all he shall do. He did promise himself that he would be gentle with her, but after her rough display with him and shoving him to the side, she might have lost that little privilege and his sparing her.  
>When he had reached the top of the tower where his new prisoner was kneeling on the dirty ground, his inner beast had won the round. He would have only but just a morsel of the girl and enjoy every second. Slowly, he approached the cell and watched as Kagome cried into her tiny hands that were over her face.<p>

"You will stop that crying." He commanded softly as he started to unlock the cell.

She looked up at him with a tearstained face and her eyes red and puffy from the tears, "How could you be so cruel? I didn't even get to say goodbye." Her voice trembled as she spoke to him in a disgusted voice.

That voice he was used to. He was used to the terror and the disgusted voices he would get towards him from outsiders. He was starting to relish in the fear he would get from them just from his appearance, or so his beast thought so. He opened the cell and stepped in slowly, taking notice to how Kagome got up quickly and backed away a few steps in her fear. The beast within was pleased by her beautiful response to his presence. His eyes scanned the low ceiling of the cell that his head was a few inches shy from touching. Two chained cuffs were hanging from the ceiling in the center; just what he wanted. The mood already in the cell was perfect by the dreary shadowing and barely lit by the torches that hung against the wall in the hallway of the dungeon. He looked back down at the girl who watched him with suspicious eyes, who never caught him glancing at the cuffs above her head. Such a naïve and dimwitted girl, he thought.

How she spoke to him only helped to put reasoning to his actions. "You agreed to take his place, Kagome." He spoke softly, letting her name roll off his tongue like something sweet as well as letting her be aware that he now knows her name. Which could be bad or good. Oh the sweet mysteries, he mused. He wasn't sure if it was the beast talking or him. His thoughts were a swirl of control release. Pleasure or pain? He took in her trembling form, "For that means, I treat you like how I treated him but so much more to offer. What makes you think that I, Sesshomaru, should treat you like anything else?" he allowed no for her response and grabbed her and easily pulled her to the spot where he chained her hands above her head in the cuffs. He made sure they were tight enough to hold her and to make sure that she could not slip her way out.

Kagome let out a surprised gasp and scream that only riled his beast up more. _Just take what you want, she is yours now,_ the beast inside whispered. It filled him with so many emotions and much more thrill that he had not felt in such a long time. He had not battled in a long time and that had always riled him up, but now this…. This was perfect. Perhaps he wouldn't feel so bad for using her body, everything be damned about her being a human… she would be worth it.

She looked up at her wrists that were locked by the cuffs then she looked back down and met Sesshomaru's red gaze that looked at her hungrily. Her mouth opened in a silent question, her eyes grown wider then she started to jerk herself as she attempted to be released from the restraints. He watched as her breasts bounced and were perked up more and pushed out from her arms being above her head. Oh yes, he would enjoy this.

"What are you doing?" Finally she screamed as she kept squirming as he slowly backed away from her form.

"You have no manners." He spoke gently as he continued to watch the girl as she struggled to get out of her restraints. Her back arched as she pulled in opposite direction to loosen the cuffs, but he knew they would not break. They looked old and rusty but he knew that they were stable and she wouldn't break free of them with what little strength her human body could muster. His gaze traveled down to her boots that were practically dangling and only the tips of them were able to touch the ground. Perfect.  
>Sesshomaru brought up a clawed hand and put one long clawed nail into the back of her dress and slowly cut down the back of it and watched as it released. He relished in the sound of the fabric being ripped as it slowly opened to expose more and more of her skin. The fabric opened to expose the pale skin of her back, he wanted to taste her skin and see if she tasted the same as she smelt. He couldn't get distracted from his plans so he moved on and cut both sides of her sleeves to let the top part of her dress sag down around her waist and expose her upper torso to his hungry eyes.<p>

"W-what are you doing?!" Kagome screeched as she wiggled in embarrassment as she attempted to cover her partial nudity, but the attempts were all futile and only made her breasts wiggle in her embarrassment. Oh they were beautiful round orbs that put him in a slight trance and his mouth water from his excitement and lust.

Sesshomaru ignored her outbursts as he took in her partial nudity and started to slowly back away from her and out of the cell. He took in a deep calming breath so he wouldn't go too far. He came to a cell that only held torture weapons and his favorite things: Whips. He grabbed one that looked like it wouldn't hurt the girl too much then went back into the cell she was in and stood behind her. Gently he stroked the whip as he watched her trembling back from her heavy breathing. Her head moved from side to side to look over her shoulder in attempt to look at him. He picked up the smell of her fear that grew and brought up the beast more and slowly it was taking over. His lips turned up a little in the corners into what could be called a smile.

"What was it that I told you to do when we made this agreement?" He coaxed softly as he still stroked the whip and prepared it, when he wanted to nothing but stroke something else and feel something oh so much better. After a few more strokes, he placed the handle in his right hand and let the tail of the whip pool onto the floor. His beast enjoyed the interrogation and wanted to play some more and pushed the lord do more. _To bring pain to her and to bring fulfillment in us, afterwards you could take pleasure in her and enjoy the pure core of her dripping wet se-_ Sesshomaru snarled at the inner beast and cut its thoughts out.

"What?" she gasped out, too frightened to even comprehend anything that he was saying to her. He will just have to make her remember.

With a flick of his delicate wrist, the whip flew out and whistled in the air with a crack as it connected to the skin on her back. She let out a scream that gave him an instant erection and his beast howl with pleasure. She arched her chest out and squeezed her legs together as she let out a cry and breathed harder. "Do you remember now?" He whispered as he watched the red line where the whip had struck her on the lower back swell up very nicely.

Kagome breathed hard between her sobs and started to relax her posture and shook with her sobbing, and he had been gentle. Sesshomaru slowly walked to the front of her and watched her full breasts heave with her sobs. He glanced up at her face that was crinkled and scrunched up from her crying, he then looked back down at her heaving breasts. They were swollen and very full for a girl her age, her nipples were pink and already tight that begged to be bitten and sucked on. He looked further down at her stomach that was slightly rounded but showed that she was very well fed from where she was from. Her hips were wide, great to bear a child with, his beast thought. They were wide enough to open and fit him easily. He pushed aside the beast's thoughts and continued to look over the girl.

"You're… a monster." She gasped between her sobs.

Sesshomaru lifted his gaze to her face and saw her tear eyes glaring at him. He placed the handle of the whip against her bare stomach and glided it down gently and slowly over her dress then under and between her legs and exposed her dripping wet sex. A faint smirk appeared on his lips as he pushed the handle slightly into her virgin core and turned it in small circles and watched her face as he half way penetrated her with the handle. Her face scrunched more and she let out a soft whine but a little moan escaped her. She was a frisky girl for being pure, he mused. "Hn."  
>He removed the handle from her core and placed his palm back around it and felt the heat of the handle from her core and the wetness that glided along his palm. Oh it felt wonderful. He walked back around her and stood back in his previous place. He flicked his wrist and once again the whip whistled then cracked against her back and pooled back down by his side. He shivered with delight as she let out another scream and twisted from the pain. He watched as her spine moved and the top of her buttocks could be seen as she squirmed that allowed the tattered dress to fall further down, stopping at the top of her thighs. "All you have to do is answer my question." He reminded her gently. He waited for a few more seconds as she still cried from the pain and he grew impatient then gave her another crack of the whip, releasing more screams from her. He knew he wasn't whipping her hard at all, just enough to give her red lines but it seemed to be that the girl was not used to being punished. She had very sensitive skin and he enjoyed that, but he also took caution to that.<p>

"You told me…" she sobbed out from her pain, "to do everything you bid me to do…right?" she cried out and twisted her body a little more in pain.

"Correct. That means I tell you do to something, you do it. But you haven't done that, now have you?" he scolded softly then flicked his wrist and watched as the whip met her back in a loud crack that echoed in the cell and hallway.

"No!" Kagome screamed and arched out her chest once again. Oh how he wished he were in front of her and watched.

"Will this disobedience of yours continue?" he gave another crack of the whip against her back.

Kagome screamed as she received another blow of the whip on her back, making his erection jolt, "NO!" she screamed out in a sob.

"You will call me, Master. Is that understood?" SNAP!

"Yes!" Kagome screamed out still writhing in her pain.

"Yes, WHAT?" he growled as he flicked his wrist to give her a hard blow of the whip.

"Yes master!" she screamed and sobbed out.

A soft trickle of water caught Sesshomaru's attention as he watched it hit the ground just beneath her feet with the smell of urine hitting his senses. He looked down to see a pool of urine that trickled down her legs and onto the floor. He never meant to push her that far. The beast inside him reveled in it and wanted him to continue the master slave game with her. But he couldn't continue to further torture the girl and was finally out of the mood. "Hn." He left the cell and put the whip up, he then walked back into her cell and stood on the outside of it, avoiding going in so he didn't do anything his beast wanted him to do. His beast had never been out of control like that, and he was starting to get nervous about it and that peeved him greatly. Disgusted, he looked away with what he had done and also from the pungent smell of the urine. His eyes landed on the stairwell, "I will have the servant fetch you." He spoke softly then left her in her blubbering mess.


	3. No Meals

Chapter Three

"_No Meals"_

Kagome trembled from her sobs but they soon grew quiet. She heard what Sesshomaru told her but it brought no relief, for she still thought that she was going to be chained in the cell forever. She hung her head low as she slowly started to relax from the tension and the sobbing. She sucked in her trembling lip; her body would occasionally tremble from the cold in the damp cell. She could still smell her urine and also feel the tiny drops left on her thighs as they would slowly trail down trying to make its way to the puddle by her feet.  
>She took in the sight of the dark gray stones beneath her feet that were slightly covered by straw. She hiccupped from her quieting sobs and looked up at the wall she faced that held a tiny window to see the outside world. Snow pelted against the tiny window trying to make its way into the cell, but the bone chilling wind still made its way in through the cracks of the stone.<br>Was this what her brother had to go through when he stayed? More tears slowly pooled back into her eyes as she thought of her brother being tortured and embarrassed like she was. She was thankful though that she got him out of there before he died. He was close to death that she was sure that if he had stayed one more night in the cell with the fearless warlord, he would have died.  
>Kagome let out a little groan as she tried to move but only to stop from the blinding pain of her back. The cold air helped soothe the burning pain but chilled her everywhere else, making her hands already numb from the cold steel cuffs that still held her in its clutches.<br>She thought back to before she got the beating, how Sesshomaru seemed almost different than when she first met him in the living chamber. He seemed to have withheld himself from her, stayed far away from her. But as soon as he passed her to leave the room, she saw his shoulders tense and his hands clench into fists.  
>When he chained her and undressed her, he seemed beastly from the way he looked at her. She thought of the way his golden eyes swirled with red as he stared over her nude body. She felt like she was being toyed with by something or someone else.<br>She shook her head from her own thoughts that seemed too far-fetched. Her mother has always told her that she thinks far too much and at that moment she knew she was over thinking things. The warlord was a cruel man and didn't care who he hurt, woman, child, man, whomever… just to get whatever pleasure he gets from it.  
>But there was still the small inkling part of her that was attracted to this feared man. When she first set eyes upon him, at first yes, she was terrified from what she <em>thought<em> she saw and questioned her sanity. When she blinked, the feral image she saw turned into a gorgeous man with unblinking golden eyes that were set on her that sent chills down her spine. When he had undressed her, she was embarrassed but at the same time excited to see what the man thought of her body.  
>Kagome grunted and squeezed her eyes shut; she tried to push all thoughts out of her head to keep from confusing herself even more. She felt something burn in her chest and couldn't decipher what was causing it.<br>Footsteps silenced her thoughts and made her hold her breath, waiting for what was about to come. The heavy footsteps shuffled up the stairwell, echoing off the walls making the wait way too long for her. When she heard the footsteps reach behind her, she opened her eyes and stared at the window that was half full of snow that had built up from the wind blowing it unrelenting to the castle.

"Oh, dear girl." A velvet voice spoke softly in a gasp. A hand gently skimmed over her back that made her wince from the sting.  
>She winced and let out a soft hiss between her teeth.<br>"Come, let's get you cleaned up." The voice still spoke softly, almost nurturing towards her.  
>She felt cold hands touch hers as they maneuvered to get her unchained. When she heard the clink she removed her hands from the cold steel and slowly let her arms down and stretched them. Kagome slowly turned to face the man who let her out and who spoke gently towards her, hoping to find a savior. She felt disappointment when she looked to his face and it was all shadowed.<br>_I shouldn't be so shocked about this, apparently no one here heard about lights,_ she thought sullenly to herself.  
>"Come…come." He coaxed gently as he set a hand on her shoulder as she started to lift the top part of her dress to cover her nudity from this man.<br>She watched this man carefully as he led her out of the cold cell and retreated back down the spiral stairs away from the dungeon tower. She kept herself a few steps behind him as she followed, careful, not ready to be willing to trust the man.  
>She squeezed the top part of her ripped dress close to her chest as her thoughts started to drift back to her brother. She knew that he had to be on his way through the blizzard back home, back to their mother and grandfather.<br>When she had heard that he was on his way home from his travels from the healing village that was miles away from their own village, she felt relief. But as days had passed she started to grow weary and restless, she knew something had happened to him. She never thought he would have ended up here in the territory he should have never been at. She knew the day that she heard from her brother's henchmen that had gone on the travel with him, that he has been taken and captured, that she would have to come here herself and get him back herself. The men of her village did not like her idea; they in fact held her back and told her not to come here. So she snuck out in the night with only little food she could save and started on her travels, to end up here.  
>Her thoughts broke when she bumped into the man's back as he stopped at a double door that had red and gold paint on the frame, some had chipped. He turned his head and she got a full sight of his handsome face. Her eyes went a little wide and she sucked in a breath as she felt her heart pound in her chest.<br>Yes, Kagome was young and very naïve, but in her village the men were rough looking men and sometimes very hard to look at. But the man that stood before her, with a little smile, was handsome.  
><em>But not as handsome as the warlord, <em>she thought to herself_. _  
>He had dark brown hair that was tied back with a leather band. His eyes were a deep brown that sparkled in the candlelight that made it appear as if he were a very light hearted man. His face was very young, as if he were a boy but soon to turn into a man. He wore a creamy white shirt that was tucked into his black pants and wore black boots, with his pants tucked into them. His body was well built but also very lanky.<br>Kagome lifted her eyes back up to his face and saw that he was smiling childishly at her, as if he knew she was taking all of him in.  
>"I don't think I should be allowed in a room." She whispered to him, breaking the silence.<br>Why had he brought her to a room, when she agreed to the warlord that she would be in place of her brother who was a prisoner and stayed in that rotten cell?  
>The man smiled gently, making his features brighten, "Ah, you are afraid that master Sesshomaru would be angered about this?" he asked in a very teasing tone.<br>Kagome raised her eyebrows a little at how he could take everything so lightly. For a fleeting second she thought that maybe she judged Sesshomaru in the wrong way. Perhaps there was more to him than what she saw. She scoffed a little to herself from her thoughts.  
>"No need to be afraid. He has ordered that you stay in this room." He spoke with the same soothing tone as he waved his arm toward the door. "That is after I gave him a piece of my mind." He said under his breath, meaning for his last sentence not to meet her ears, but she had caught what he said and it sent her mind spinning with questions.<br>Kagome shifted uncomfortably and squeezed her tattered dress tightly against her chest as she watched the man open the door and face her, still with a smile on her face. He could be a heart breaker if he wanted to, she thought to herself. "What is your name?" her voice cracked, she quietly cleared her throat.  
>The man grinned that made his eyes twinkle in the candle light and made him look all the more handsome, "My name is Miroku. And my, you are a sight for sore eyes little missy." He spoke as he gave her a long bow at the waist and straightened himself, giving her a flashing smile.<br>Kagome frowned a little as she started to notice that he might have been hitting on her. She pushed past him and into the room and stopped in the middle of it. Her jaws dropped and her eyes widened at how grand the room looked.

There was a fireplace lit that heated the room that was on the left side of the room and was adjacent to a grand bed that could have fit at least seven people. Adorning the fireplace there were demonic looking dog statues with their mouths open wide baring their teeth ready to feast and their serpent like tongue sticking out. The fire illuminated the shadows of the dogs in the room that made it eerie, but she only thought that because of her own experience with the same looking dog she had met outside in the blizzard trying to make her way to the castle. Her eyes went to straight ahead of her where large windows were covered by heavy white draperies; on the ends of them were red poppy flowers. On the left side of the drapes was a large wooden chest; on top of the chest were jewels and perfumes. She has never once in her life had a perfume and was very tempted to go over and spray all of them to smell them all.  
>"There is a wash room," Miroku broke her silence, making her look over to him as he walked over to where a door was and opened it. A large pillow of steam came out of the room and fragrances of lavender and vanilla filled the room and her nostrils that soothed her. "The master requested you wash yourself and prepare for the evening meal with him. I will be back to fetch for you. There are clothes in the chest as well in the closet that is over there," he pointed to another door that was smaller that was next to the double doors that led out of the room. He then looked back at Kagome and gave her a little smile, "Dinner will be served soon, so please don't take too much time." He then gave her a curt bow and took his leave, closing the doors behind him as he left.<br>The click of the doors that closed echoed through the room then left the room in silence. Kagome stood still where she was and took in the elegance of the room, baffled in amazement of how she was being treated. She should be a prisoner and yet she is being treated as if she were a guest, especially after the treatment she got from the lord.  
>Kagome walked into the steamed room, her mouth opened in shock from what she saw. The washroom was almost like a hot spring but inside. The tub itself was like a pool with stairs that led into the steamy water. Far against the wall was a steady waterfall that sprouted out of a wooden faucet that was two persons wide; the whole atmosphere of the washroom created a very soothing and relaxing effect on her.<br>Stripped down, Kagome carefully stepped into the hot water that stung her cold limbs. The last step she took into the pool had her shoulder deep into the water. Kagome moaned softly as she leaned her head back into the water to get her hair wet. Her back was sore but whatever was in the water was soothing the spots where she was struck from the whip.  
>To her, she knew this all couldn't be real. She thought to herself that she must have fainted after how every many lashings she took from the whipping Sesshomaru gave her. He wouldn't just release her from the cell and treat her like this.<br>But only for now, in what she thought was a dream, she enjoyed the soothing bath she took and relaxed her stiff limbs and got lost in her thoughts, trying to figure out the most feared warlord in the land, Sesshomaru.

XxXxXxXxX 

Kagome frowned as she looked through the closet full of gowns that looked all too much elegant for her stature. She was in no way a royal and these clothes seemed to be out of her league. She turned, holding the damp towel against her chest as she walked to the chest and looked for less elegant looking gowns to wear, but only to be disappointed to find more.  
>Why would Sesshomaru have a female's room in the first place, she pondered to herself. He seemed cold and very distant and not very much of a romantic type to keep a woman around. A horn dog could describe him, so perhaps he occasionally had concubines come here to relieve some of his tension.<br>If he for one minute thought she was going to be some tramp and give herself up to him, he had another thing coming.  
>She gave up and decided to wear a green dress that was tight around her bust, that pushed the top of her breasts up and squeezed her stomach way too much for her comfort then flowed out from her waist. She slipped on the most normal looking slippers she could find that were brown and on the top over her toes was one little jewel on each shoe. She went over to the mirror that was next to the wooden chest and took a good look at herself.<br>She made a sound of surprise and disgust at how much cleavage she showed and tried to adjust the top of the dress to make it higher so her breasts weren't so exposed but it wouldn't budge.  
>"Stupid concubines." She mumbled to herself, frustrated that the dress stayed where it was and wouldn't lift higher.<br>A soft knock made her jump and turn toward the double doors where the knocking came from.  
>"Dinner is served." Miroku's voice bellowed behind the door, sounding like he did before, happy and a little mischievous.<br>"I decided I'm not hungry." Kagome called not budging away from the spot where she stood. Her heart pounded against her chest just thinking about eating with Sesshomaru. Would he make her eat from the floor like some dog? All of this to her didn't seem right and she didn't trust it at all.  
>A soft gasp came from behind the door, "Kagome, it was an order, <em>not<em> a request from Master Sesshomaru."  
>"I'm <span>not<span> going."  
>Her eyes widened as the door knobs started to jiggle. She bolted from her spot to the doors just as they started to open but only to be pushed shut then bolted to prevent anyone from coming into the room. A loud knock made her jump and quickly step away from the doors.<br>"Oh no." The knocking stopped and Miroku's soft sad voice was muffled through the doors. "Please Kagome, don't do this. He is waiting for your arrival." He pleaded softly.  
>Backing away from the door more, Kagome reached the bed and sat down still watching the door. She shook her head then realized that nobody could see, "He can just hold his breath. Now leave me." She yelled as she crossed her arms across her chest in a little show of defiance.<br>Miroku grumbled something through the doors but it was muffled and started to fade as he sounded further away from the door, to more than likely report to Sesshomaru that she wasn't going to join him in his feast.  
>Kagome let her arms fall into her lap and her mouth opened a little. She started to feel sick to her stomach as she started to think through what just happened. Her worst fears of what could happen once Sesshomaru heard what just happened started to take over her mind and made her groan in pain.<br>She had agreed to take her brother's place for his freedom and agreed to do everything Sesshomaru bids and yet she had gone against what he had bided and she knew she was in for it. The girl even confused herself with her own actions.  
>Her mouth went dry as she watched the double doors for something to happen. She knew it wouldn't take long for Sesshomaru to find out that was refusing to dine with him. But nothing happened and no sounds were made except for her heaving breathing.<br>She waited and nothing happened. Her body started to grow pliant and was lying down on the bed and watching the door through heavy lidded eyes.  
>'He might not come.' Were her last thoughts before she started to fall asleep.<p>

"Master…"  
>Sesshomaru looked away from the fireplace that had entranced him and got him lost in his thoughts. His eyes settled on the servant, Miroku. He looked and smelled scared as he stared at his master.<br>"The girl… she said she wasn't hungry." Miroku spoke softly as he fumbled with his hands.  
>Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow then looked back at the fireplace to keep his face hidden from the servant's view. "Bring her." He ordered softly.<br>"I tried. She refused with as much pleading. Sir, if I may say something else…"  
>"Hn."<br>"Do not punish her. Go easy on the girl, she just arrived and she looked frightened when I retrieved her. If she is the one, you don't want to scare her awa-"  
>Sesshomaru stood up and shot a glare at Miroku, his claws dug into the table he was seated at and awaited for the girl to arrive. "We do not speak about this." His voice calm and fluid but behind it held a threat.<br>Miroku's eyes went wide and his body went stiff.  
>Sesshomaru strode past Miroku and made his way to Kagome's doors. He bared his fangs at the door in a moment of annoyance. He wanted to break down the door and teach the girl another lesson, to teach her to fear him.<br>Instead, he banged on the door to get the girl's attention. He heard a gasp and shuffling.  
>"If you do not wish to eat with me, you do not eat at all." He warned in a bored tone, not allowing the girl to truly hear his annoyance.<br>Silence was the only reply he got from the girl and strangely it irritated him. He bared his fangs one more time before he turned around and left the wing and into his own wing that was on the opposite side of the castle. 

Sesshomaru paced his favored room that he had met Kagome in. He glared at the door that was shut, contemplating whether he go back to her room and teach her the lesson he wanted to or just to leave her for the night and hope she will be more obeying in the morning.  
>He walked to the fireplace that was still burning high and permitting heat into the room. He stared at the flames as they licked at the wood it burned slowly. He has never lost his collectiveness over a human girl before. But never has he been rejected from an offer, even a simple order of her coming to dinner with him.<br>He has heard the whispers of the servants around the palace that she was the girl that was going to break the curse that was on all of them, especially him. Miroku has spoken to him before he fetched the girl from the dungeon to take her to the room Sesshomaru has told her to stay in. He thought back on the short conversation and it angered him that someone who was beneath him to reprimand him like he had done.

_"A girl has come here and you treat her this way? Do you still want to be under this curse? Do you not care about yourself?" Miroku scolded after Sesshomaru told him to fetch the wounded and soiled girl from the cell and have her cleaned.  
>"Hn." Was all he could reply, he didn't want to speak aloud that he did in fact care about himself more than he let on.<br>Sesshomaru is a very vain demon, especially with his appearance. He still is at times in shock that some little witch put a strong curse on him, the most feared Lord of the lands and now he got himself and the others around him in this sticky situation. But the other times he is angry that the little bitch would dare to put that curse on him. He has already made plans that once he figures out how to break the curse, he will hunt down the witch if she was still alive and kill her. If she was already dead, he would somehow find a way to bring her back from the dead then kill her slowly and very painfully.  
>"I mean no disrespect at all my lord. But go easy on the girl and see if she is able to break the curse for the good of all of us." Miroku went on, not deterred by the fact that Sesshomaru is known for his lack of conversation.<br>Sesshomaru turned his back to Miroku and walked slowly to his desk to sit down in his torn up leather chair he has long ago slashed at in his anger.  
>"Have her come to supper with me. Tell the cooks to prepare a meal." Sesshomaru spoke softly from his seat and watched as Miroku bowed with a little smirk and left the room.<br>He will not be a romantic being to this girl, but he will not be a monster to her either. But he will demand her respect and obedience if Kami can help it._

Sesshomaru glanced over at a hidden door in the wall that was by the fire that led to tunnels within his palace so he can get around without being seen. He knew if he ever wanted to watch Kagome without her knowing he could use this measure. But for now, he would give her privacy only this night.


	4. Secrets

A/N: This chapter has been updated and fixed. If there are any errors in it, I will go back and fix them. Happy reading. :)

* * *

><p>Chapter Four<p>

_"Secrets"_

Hunger woke the sleeping girl from her peaceful slumber late during the night. Her stomach growled and sent some pain through her stomach that made her want to retch from just how hungry she was. She shouldn't have declined the request for her to dine with Sesshomaru. But what was done was done and there was no way for taking it back now. Sleepily, she rubbed her eyes to rid of the sleep and looked around the softly illuminated room. She glanced over at the fireplace that burned the embers and gave the room a faint glow that made he feel like she was at home. Her azure eyes went to the stone demon dogs that stared back with their ferocious looks and mouths opened as if they wanted to eat her. A shiver racked through her body as she looked away and slowly sat up and stretched out her tender limbs. Just as slowly she got out of bed and padded to the fireplace to put more wood in the flames to keep them going and to keep the room warm.  
>The only sounds in the room were of the wood crackling from the fire and occasional whistle of the wind outside form the passing snow storm. Gently, she rubbed her arms as she went over to the misty windows to look outside to watch the storm blow the snow against the window and around in hasty circles. Any other time it would have been soothing to watch the snow storm, but her thoughts went automatically to her brother who was still more than likely travelling in the ferocious snow storm. She hoped that he was doing okay and that whomever he was travelling with was taking care of him. Souta's pale face flashed in her head, she remembered how his normally bright cheerful brown eyes had sunken into his face and were wide with terror. His lips were chapped and cracked as well as very pale from the lack of water. It blew her mind to think of how he was treated. What had her brother done wrong other than trespassing? He was lost and needed help and in the end he was captured and treated as if he committed treason or was a war prisoner.<p>

Kagome's small fist came up to her mouth as she tried to hold back tears as she thought of Souta when she saw him in the cell. A soft cry escaped her and filled the room with her sorrow. She cried softly for a few minutes and prayed silently to Kami that her brother would be okay and makes it home safe. The last thing that her family needed was another sick member, for their grandfather was sick, which was the reason why Souta set out on the journey to the healer village. She sniffled and rubbed away her tears that fell down her cheeks as she turned away from the window and faced the doors to leave the room and into the hallway.  
>With a deep shaky breath, Kagome walked over to the doors and slowly and very carefully unlocked her doors. Slowly, she cracked the door open to pop her head out to look in the hallway to make sure no one was by the door to prevent her from wandering her around. So far she could not see anyone who stood guard, which gave her some hope to venture around and look for food. But she waited a few seconds to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark in the hallway. As she waited, she held her breath to listen for any sounds of life in the hallway but in return she heard nothing but the pounding of her racing heart in her ear. After she released her breath that she held, she slowly took a careful step out of the room and into the hallway and made her way through to find the way to the kitchen.<p>

Blinded, she placed a hand on the wall to keep herself from bumping into things in the dark, even though her eyes were adjusted… it was still pitch dark and she could barely make out the shapes. Occasionally she would pass by a candle that sat on a shelf, high up on the wall burning the last little wick it had left. Her heart pounded against her chest harshly as she went further and further away from her room where she could lock the door and prevent anyone from trespassing or even seeing her. But her stomach growled and the thought of food gave her the little courage she had to wander around the castle looking for the kitchen to relieve the pain she felt.  
>Quickly she froze in her steps as she thought she heard something but when she looked around, she saw nothing. She let out a shaky breath and continued further down the hall and let out a little squeak as she bumped into something that made a loud noise—to her—and waited to see if someone was going to show up to see what made the noise, but no one came. She continued on further and eventually came to the stairs that went down and then up straight across to go to a different wing of the castle as there was a break away from it that went down to the main and lobby of the castle where she had come crashing through when she first arrived. Choosing to go down she quietly went down the stairs and made a right and wondered around.<p>

Finally she came upon the kitchen that was hidden behind an old door that looked worn and could break at any given moment. She went down the two steps and pushed past the old door that swung with a loud creak as she pushed gently and then it smacked behind her in its old age. She winced and turned her head to look back at it then looked back ahead of her. Automatically she felt like she could breathe normally since she was in the clear and out of the halls giving herself away to whatever to find her. She was terrified of the thought of Sesshomaru finding her wandering around the hallways and give her another beating. Her back was not as sore as it was before, but it still was smart and it stung.  
>A few small candles loomed in the kitchen to give it a little glow so Kagome could see what was in there. Her eyes widened and her mouth watered as she saw an untouched glazed chicken that had been cooked to perfection. Slowly, she made her way to the small wooden island that held the feat that would soon enough be in her happy stomach. Had Sesshomaru not eaten as well and left all this good food go to waste? Such a shame.<p>

She reached out and gently tore a piece of the chicken that easily peeled away from the rest of the body, she put the morsel in her mouth and allowed a soft moan to escape her lips. She was starved and hadn't had food like this since her journey. After her small bite, she started to eat to her heart's content of the glazed chicken until she was full and there was still a lot left.

"My, my…"

Kagome jumped what felt like ten feet into the air then turned to face the person who spoke behind her. How come she did not hear him entering? That door was old and it made noises for her and she _was_ trying to be quiet. She placed a hand to her chest to cover her pounding heart and let out a loud gasp of surprise.

Miroku was leaned up against the stone wall that arched just before the door frame, a lazy grin on his lips and his hand held a golden candle holder with a candle already burned through half the stick. He was dressed in a white gown that she only assumed was his night wear. Even then he looked handsome and quite seductive with that lazy grin on his face.

"I thought I heard someone creeping around, for a moment I thought it was those damned ghosts again." He pushed away from the wall gently then slowly came up to Kagome and reached behind her as he placed the candle down on the wooden table with a soft scraping noise that broke the silence between the pair. His eyes landed on the now torn apart chicken that had been prepared hours ago for her supper with the Lord, who was displeased when he found out she did not want to eat with him. Slowly, he looked back at Kagome whose eyes were still wide and looked like she was holding her breath. He took a step back from her allowing space between them again; he crossed his arms and grinned. "Calm down girl, I won't tell on you." He said with a soft chuckle.

Visibly, Kagome relaxed and without realizing she was holding her breath, she released it heavily and felt light headed as she sucked in new oxygen that filled her lungs. "I'm sorry, I was so hungry and I saw—"

Miroku shook his head with a little laugh and pulled Kagome with him to the small table and chairs that was in the back of the kitchen by a large window. She guessed that the Lord really liked windows and looking outside, which was something both of them could relate to. She had always enjoyed looking outside and watching the scenery. It always added memories that she could later look back on and be happy about.

"No need to apologize. Are you full?" He said softly and smiled at her as he pulled out a chair for her and waited for her to have a seat. A blush crept to her cheeks from just how sweet and gentleman like he was. She took a seat and he gently scooted her in.  
>She raised her eyebrows just a fraction and eyed him suspiciously as she sat there and thought of his actions. Was he up to something or perhaps silently sent out word that she was out of her room and the master was going to show up at any moment? He sat down across from her and poured them both a glass of fine red wine. He looked up at her as he handed her glass with a gentle smile, "Here." He coaxed.<p>

Nervously she eyed the cup a little wary about what he might have done to the wine. She's never had wine before and had heard that wine could be the perfect thing to poison people or put sleep aids in. She shook her head quickly, "No thank you." She wanted the glass of wine, she was parched but she didn't trust how he was acting.

Miroku set the cup down in front of her and picked up his own then took a long sip; she could hear the gulping noises from where she was. It was a long silence between the two and he knew that she wanted to say something to him from the way she would open her mouth but then snap it shut and avert her eyes in her thoughts. But he waited patiently and took plenty gulps of his wine and contemplated whether he gets some cheese or not.

"Why are you doing this?" Her soft voice broke the very awkward silence between the two.

"What do you mean?" He asked her innocently then took a sip of the wine, his eyes wandering over the small island that held the cheeses.

Kagome looked at him with a bit of annoyance and tapped her fingers against the table in frustration; she still eyed her untouched glass of wine. "I should be a prisoner yet you treat me like some kind of guest." She looked back at his brown eyes that were staring past her. Was he in deep thought and she was interrupting it?

Miroku looked away from the island that held the cheeses and looked back at her. He sighed out and looked down at his glass that had only but a sip left, he started to tilt his glass to make the contents swirl. "There are many things about this place that you don't know about." He whispered then took the last swig of his wine and set the glass down gently.

Kagome raised her thin black eyebrows and slowly reached out for her cup of wine, no longer able to resist. What did he mean by his statement? It seemed so sudden but she was growing curious. "I might know more than you think." She whispered then took a greedy sip of the wine. Her mouth started to moisten up and her taste buds felt overloaded by the flavor of the wine. It was delicious.

"So tell me then, what do you know about this place?" Miroku's voice started to sound a little more playful rather than serious, like it was only a few seconds ago. Did something amuse him about this conversation?

A blush heated up her cheeks and she stared down at her cup. She doesn't know much about the castle but she only knows what she had heard, which sadly wasn't much. It was only stories and rumors of the castle and the Lord that lived in the castle and it was all passed down from generation to generation; Sesshomaru couldn't be that old, he looked so young! She glanced up at Miroku who sat staring at her waiting for the answer. "I know that the warlord is under a curse and hasn't been able to leave. They say for hundreds of years he has stayed locked up in here, never been seen after this curse. But people have told stories saying that only a few men survived after visiting here, only to warn everyone not to come here ever again…" she spoke softly and thought of the people who told her the stories. She missed her grandfather and hoped that he was doing okay.

Miroku smiled sadly then broke the eye contact he had with her, "So it would seem." He whispered amused.

Kagome raised her eyebrows and watched the sad look cross over his facial features. He looked like a man that should never be sad or serious, it wasn't becoming of him. "Can you tell me about it?" she asked him softly and very hopeful. Perhaps she would get the real story and not some rumor! It would be like a story telling time.

Miroku shook his head and let out long sigh, "Far too long of a story and it's late. You should go back to your room before the master finds us here. He would be crossed to know that you were out wondering around." He looked up with a pained smile as he stood up while holding the table to balance himself. She took notice that his hands were shaking and slightly vibrating the table.

Odd. It looked as if he wanted to say something to her, but unable to do so. The pained look his face told her a lot and made her very curious and wanted to find out what was going on there at the castle. There were secrets and she wanted to know them. "Miroku…" She said softly and watched as his eyes were hesitant, almost pleading looking, as they landed on her face. "You said something about ghosts before…" she felt like she was getting no answers from him and if that meant she had to ask many questions as it would take to at least get some, even if it's just one, then so be it.

Miroku's face lightened up and he was able to give her a real smile. "Ah, we have many things here that goes bump in the night." His smile then transformed into a toothy grin as he started to cheer up. There was a twinkle in his eye as he made his way around the table and held his hand out for her to grab onto.

Kagome eyed his hand then stood up after she grabbed his hand gently he helped her with a gentle tug. He led her out of the kitchen silently after grabbing his candle stick to light the way back through the hallways until they came to the main area in the front of the large stairs. Miroku stopped walking then turned to Kagome so they were face to face.

"Kagome, this is where I leave you. I trust that you will find your way back to your room, since you made it through without getting caught initially." He started rather than asked, with a hint of uneasiness and a lot of teasing.

She stepped away from Miroku and let her hand fall down to her sides as she nodded, "I will be fine. Thank you for everything…" she whispered.

Miroku bowed to Kagome then stood up straight with a little smile, "I wish you a good night then."

A blush rose to her fair cheeks as he finished his bow and looked at her with a smile. Why in the world would he do something like that? She is but a prisoner here and shouldn't be getting some form of respect like that! That as well reminded her of her question she had asked him and never got an answer that was straight forward. Damn her for being so distracted and only at a time when he was leaving she would remember! Her eyes narrowed in his direction, irritated that he slyly got away from answering the question and also irritated with herself for being so air headed! "Good night then." She whispered as he had already turned with a sly smile on his lips and started to walk away.  
>Slowly she turned and started to go up the wide golden stairs then stopped at the top where it forked to go to her wing and then there was another staircase that went to the opposite wing. Mysterious. Hesitantly she turned to see if Miroku's candle light was nearby but only saw darkness and heard nothing. She nibbled on her lip nervously as she looked back at the opposite wing that she hadn't been to yet. After waiting a minute or two—and frozen to her spot—there was no sounds from anything or anyone that appeared to bust her from thinking of go to the wing.<br>A deep breath in and she started to move her feet and made her way up the stairs to the opposite wing. A few steps creaked ominously under her weight that made her halt her steps, expecting for someone to hear and rush to see who was going up the stairs. Nothing happened then she continued up the flight of stairs. She hoped to find some answers to her questions and knew there were some hints on this side of the wing. She smelt something fishy and felt like she needed to get to the bottom of it and find all the answers to the stories she had heard. She wanted her sneaking suspicions to be correct, if not, then she knew the real answers. She was a fool for doing this, but because of her having to stay there for the rest of her life she wanted to know all the answers and secrets of the castle.

_Kagome, you are a food for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong._

She could not help herself and her curiosity was getting the best of her.


	5. Curiosity kills the cat

A/N: This chapter has been edited and some and hopefully all the grammar has been fixed. Hope you all enjoy! :)

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><p>Kagome made it to the last step of the stairs and reached the darkened hallway that held a thick ominous cloud that suffocated her. A shiver racked her petite body as her eyes wouldn't adjust to this kind of darkness. It pressed against her heavily and made her breathing a little harder from the suffocating feeling. There was dark within dark and the shadows danced around and mocked right back at her. <em>Ghosts!<em> She remembered what Miroku had said to her about ghosts. Was he right about what he had said? She took a timid step back and was once more on the steps and staring into the hallway as she watched candles light themselves that were few and far between.

Her heart pounded against her chest as she shook from fear from witnessing such a thing. How was it that the candles lit themselves?! "Ghosts." She murmured scared.

The lighting of the candles did not do much with helping her see a thing. It was not only just because they were few and far between but because of the dreary feeling and the darkness that seeped and took over the hallway like it had its own physical body. Something was warning her not to go any further, but would she listen?

She shook her head slightly as she sucked in her bottom lip and chewed nervously as she started to move away from the stairs and make her way down the hallway. Her eyes widened from the fear and adrenaline that pumped through her body, readying her for anything that might happen. _There are actually ghosts in this castle!_ She looked to her left and saw a figure standing there looking back at her from a doorway. It was a beautiful young woman with a sad look on her face and tears glistening in her eyes. Kagome halted in her steps and stared shockingly at the woman. At any moment she was sure that she would keel over from the shock and fear of everything. But the ghostly woman slightly bowed her head and disappeared into the darkened room and started to softly mourn that echoed in the hallway. Kagome let out a shaky breath and quickly made her way. From the faint light of the candles she could tell that the walls were blood red and severely scratched. Someone or some_thing_ must have gone through and scratched at the walls to where they were deeply engraved and were long marks, as if they had walked or ran down the hall with their nails in the wall.

She passed by suits of armor that lined along the wall at one point as she furthered into the mysterious wing. They were standing up straight with their chests puffed out and their heads held high as they held onto the sword in front of them. She got the creeps from them, feeling as though they were watching her every step. _Well, I just saw a ghost…_ she reminded herself that anything in this castle should not be a shocker.

It did not take long for Kagome to realize that this was _his_ wing from the creepy feeling and the darkness that still seeped in every corner and threatened to overtake her at any moment. The man apparently loved to hide in darkness, even when she first met him he hid in the shadows. His aura was also very overpowering just like the sticky feeling she got from the wing. Perhaps a piece of him was detached and now in some astral form and was haunting the castle. She shook her head and continued further and deeper into wing; she could not stop her feet as they continued to take her forward…away from the staircase and away from a safe haven. Her eyes were still widened, her pupils dilated and her heart was hammering away at her breast bone that was making her deaf from the pounding of blood in her ears. It would not be shocking to the girl if the whole castle could hear just how loud it was beating. At one point she couldn't hear anything but the pounding that made her uncomfortable, knowing that if someone came up behind her, she wouldn't be able to hear them and try to escape.

Silently, she cursed herself and stopped walking to calm herself down. She felt sweat trickle on her brow and her upper lip from being so nervous. Gently she rubbed away the sweat with a shaky hand and glanced around her surroundings. To her left she saw a wooden staff leaning against the wall that had two heads, one was an old man and the other was of a woman. She shivered and started to walk again and went deeper, she made a turn in the hall that twisted into another hallway. Her eyes always landed on different objects that were just leaning against the wall or placed on a table that was pushed awkwardly in weird angles against the wall, every couple of feet from each other.

She came up to a door that was cracked and it looked like there was moonlight shining into the room that spilled out into the hallway. That caught her attention immediately and curiously she took a step towards the door. Wind whistled and blew against her as she felt a draft that came from the room. Slowly she made her way into the room and took in the sight. It was a mess with objects and chairs all strewn and thrown over the room. There was one painting that hung on the wall that was slashed with claw marks that couldn't be made out what exactly the painting once was. It disappointed her slightly to have seen a painting being treated in such an abusive manner.

The warlord looked to be a man who had control and from the way he wore his clothing neatly and very clean looking, this room came to be a surprise to her. She just assumed that his wing would be just as neat and clean looking… but she thought wrong of him. The room spoke volumes to the girl, from the claw marks on the walls, chairs and even tables. Her first thought that the man had a horrible temper and shouldn't be surprised of that fact. But there was something whispering in her head saying that it was different than that. That he might be suffering from a loss or perhaps he could be depressed. No, not such a great and terrible man would suffer from such.

Slowly she made her way through the trashed room and saw a balcony that was open but no wind blew through the room now that she was in. Although it was chilly and she could see her own breath puffing out of her trembling lips. It confused her for a moment that there was a snow storm but yet the wind refused to blow into the open room, like it was being stopped somehow.

There, illuminated in the light of the moon, was a table with an object that was covered by a glass jar. Slowly she made her way over to the table, making her way around some objects that were in her path.

_This is it. This is a clue._ She thought to herself as she got closer to the table, closer to the sparkling object that was protected by the glass jar.

She got a better look at what was in the large glass jar, her eyes widened as she caught just a glimpse of what was behind the sparkles—which was its own personal aura—and her heart beat faster at just how beautiful the object was. It was a rare object indeed. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion of the object that stood on its own in the jar. Why would he protect such a thing though? How was it that he had its own aura and power? _The curse._

"What are you doing in here?" A cold voice came from behind her.

The hair on the back of Kagome's neck stood up as goosebumps rose against her skin. Her heart dropped to her stomach and slowly she turned to face the harsh stare of Sesshomaru who stood a couple of feet away from her, his eyes glowing red in the dark. Her breath hitched and lodged itself in her throat as she stared back at a predator and not a man.

"I…" she cleared her throat. "I just wanted to look around." When the words left her lips, she felt foolish for even thinking of saying that out loud to him. She was not all that great at lying and just his presence put the fear of God into her and sadly made her spill the beans without a fight.

A low growl broke from his chest as he took three long strides toward her, quickly closing the distance between them. He grabbed a hold of her hair and pulled her out of the room. "This area is forbidden."

Kagome let out a shriek as he pulled hard on her hair that was wrapped around his fingers like silky rope. She thought he would let go as soon as they were out of the room and in the hallway but she should have known better. He kept pulling her but in the opposite direction of the stairs. He pulled her deeper into the heart of the wing and her heart fell more into her stomach from the fear. He did not speak a word to her as he strode through the hallways and kept his grasp in her hair tight. Kagome's worst fears played in her mind as the minutes ticked by slowly and they kept moving faster. She felt her mouth go dry with fear and sweat trickled more down her forehead and some in her eyes.

They made it into a room, but he continued to drag her through the room, her feet gliding against something furry. She let out a gasp and groans as she was thrown against the wall and felt hands on her wrists as they were chained to the floor. "You take things for granted, do you not?" he whispered to her calmly.

How could someone be so calm when they were about to inflict pain on someone else? Especially a woman! This man, Kagome thought, is a very sick man and he would not care if it's man, woman or child if he decides to torture or kill. Her stomach tied in knots, in a bad way, and made her nauseous. What in the world was he going to do to her? He hadn't taken her to the cells this time but instead in a room. Was her purity now going to be diminished as some sort of punishment?

Breath hit against her face and she knew it was him. Her heart fluttered nervously as she looked straight back at him, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. His hand gently ran down her cheek, down her neck and down her arm. "Perhaps I _should_ treat you like a prisoner." He whispered. "Maybe then you will learn."

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed as she shivered from his hand that rested on top of hers. She let out a shaky breath and knew it brushed against his face. He sucked in a deep breath and leaned back to put more space between them. "What are you doing to me?" she whispered, swallowing away some of her fear. She did not know in what meaning she asked the question. She wanted to know what he was going to do to her, yes. But she also wanted to know what was going on the inside of her and what the hell he had planned with her emotions.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in her direction then he turned, his red cape flowing behind him with a soft swish. He walked across the room into the darkness to where she could not see him. The man has a knack for doing that, she thought to herself a little annoyed. She looked away from where he had retreated and tried to find anything she could see but the whole room was pitch black. She prayed silently that she wasn't in another cell at least. It felt like a room but she could be wrong.

They both were silent except for Kagome's heavy breathing that would break the silence every few seconds. A noise broke through the silence that sounded much like a match being lit then a fire started in the fireplace that was on the right. It lit up the room and made shadows dance in the room that sent chills through Kagome, even though the fire was heating her up quickly. Curiously she looked around and saw that rather than a cell, she was in a large bedroom. The kind sized bed was on her left sitting in the middle of the room. A fur rug was at the end of it, the wolf head facing her with its mouth open. The floors were a dark cherry wood that gleamed in the firelight. Her eyes went to the fireplace and saw the same dog statues by the fireplace. She looked to where Sesshomaru's silhouetted form stood facing the fire; his silver locks gleamed in the firelight like they were dancing. She thought he would have the beastly look but he looked like a young man and dangerously beautiful. Lethal would be the world she would use to describe him. It fit him perfectly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she sucked in a soft cry. She didn't want to be in trouble. She didn't want to be spanked or whipped or anything. She felt deep regret, but only for being caught. She knew that whatever she saw in that room, he didn't want her to see and it definitely exposed him. He didn't seem like the kind of man that liked to be exposed.

He turned his head slightly to look at her through the corner of his eye then he looked back down at the fireplace in silence. She noticed he had pointy elf like ears from his silver hair being pushed back behind them. He had a strong jaw line and his neck was long. "I do not wish to be a monster…" he whispered still staring at the fireplace.

Her eyes went wide at his words. He did not wish to be a monster, but yet he acts like one. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot, not know what to say back to him. He then turned and looked at her with his eyes no longer the beautiful golden color but now started to turn red. "But I will act like one if I don't get the respect I demand." He finished then started to slowly walk toward her then knelt down so he was face to face with her now frozen in her spot. He leaned in a little and closed his eyes as he took in deep breaths of her scent, getting a high off of her smell. She smelt of sandalwood and citrus, lust and lots of fear.

Kagome's back stiffened as he was so close to her that his nose nuzzled against her neck. She shivered and sucked back a gasp. He smelt so intoxicating to her. He smelt of wilderness, pine trees and burnt leaves. Her nails scraped against the wood by her chains, her head started to spin from the intoxication. She leaned in closer until her head was rested upon his shoulder.

Sesshomaru's claws grasped her arms so they were tucked into her side and she was firmly pressed up against him. His nose nuzzled deeper into her neck and a soft growl vibrated through his chest and against her head. Kagome had no idea what was happening to her and why she was acting this way towards the warlord. She was getting out of control and she tried with all her might to not be lured in by him. But her body screamed at her and told her yes and sent heat waves through her. She trembled from the lust that coursed through her veins like venom. Her head was cloudy and spun from the further intoxication. "I said I was sorry." She whispered as she tried to pull away from him, but only to be crushed back against him. She felt her back meet the wall as he scooted her further her back so she was pinned and have nowhere to go.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes slowly as he watched the girl tremble against him in her arousal as well from her fear. "You will lose that tongue of yours if you do not watch what you say to me." He whispered roughly.

She bit down on her tongue and waited for him to say or do something. He stared down into her eyes and moved his hands so he was untying her dress. He grew impatient to undo the wicked dress and pulled down the top part so her breasts bounced out easily and begged for his mouth. He leaned back a little to have a better look of her supple body and wanted to see more of her. Quickly, he lifted the bottom part of her dress high so the apex of her thighs was exposed and he could see the glistening dew between the folds.

Kagome blushed as his eyes wondered over her nude body. She tried to move her hands up but was stopped short from the chains. She swallowed hard and lifted her chin up trying to show she wasn't scared at all. She thought she saw a glimmer of a smirk on Sesshomaru's lips as he watched her. Her eyes widened when his large hands cupped her sensitive breasts open for the taking. Her breath left her body in a gasp, not from shock or disgust, but rather from pleasure. Her eyes rolled back to her skull when he squeezed roughly and sent jolts of heat through the rest of her body. His larger body leaned in more towards her, his mouth rested against her ear so she could feel his heavy breathing that matched her own. Could it be that perhaps he was feeling pleasure from this as well? Why in the world would she like this sort of treatment? Could it be that she had never been handled by a man? No, that would be too lusty and not her at all. There was something about his touch that made her weak in the knees and guilty.

"Perhaps I should have one of my men hunt down your brother to come back." He spoke so softly but it vibrated through her whole body. He squeezed a nipple tightly between his thumb and forefinger that made her arch more into him and a soft moan slipped through her lips.

Slowly, Kagome cracked open her eyes and her heart started to pound against her chest. Did he mean for Souta to come back to take Kagome home with him? No, that doesn't make any sense at all. He was threatening something much worse and she would not have it! _No, please don't._ She begged softly in her mind. She did not want to see her sickly brother to be returned and be greeted by death for sure by his skillful hands. Another whimper escaped her as he twisted more at her nipple then released and palmed a breast.

"You have made a deal with me and yet you refuse to stick to your word. I'm sure you bring dishonor to your family often." She turned her head slightly to look at him to see that he was staring at her from the corner of his slanted eye.

He must be trying to get a rise out of her and sadly it was working. She would rather be beated than hear someone say she brings dishonor to her family. He does not know her and defiantly does not know her intentions. Angered, her eyes narrowed after the shock went away. "Take that back." She whimpered. It was not supposed to be a whimper but filled with rage and emotions. Damn voice was betraying her.

"I've been easy on you, wench." He scolded softly, he gave a rough squeeze of her breasts, "I had one simple request, that you do everything I bid you to do and yet you refuse to let that into your thick skull." He snapped his fangs close to her ear that made her shiver from fright and pleasure. She let out another soft moan when he pressed harder against her and continued to tweak and flick her nipples with his fingers. Something built in her lower regions that sent more heat through her and even made her toes curl. Dampness could be felt from the apex of her thighs and for a moment she was afraid she might have wet herself once again. But this felt entirely different and like the same thing when he stuck the handle of the whip inside of her.

"Don't bring him back." She breathed out shakily as she let out a moan when he started to lick the outer shell of her ear as he continued his ministrations with her hardened peaks.

Quickly, Sesshomaru retreated from her all together and his footsteps could be heard across the room. Her head banged against the wall from his speedy absence but she could not find herself to move from the position he had left her in. Her legs were spread and her arms were limp by her sides as her neck was exposed to him. She breathed hard and closed her eyes trying to get ahold of herself and try to think more clearly.

_What have you done, Kagome? You let him touch you! You actually enjoyed it!_ She scolded herself from being weak and allowing him to couch her that way. What in the world was he doing to her? Was he using some kind of spell on her and trying to win her over to be some whore?

Finally when her thoughts were clear, she opened her eyes in search of Sesshomaru. He stood by the fireplace once again but this time was facing her and staring at her with his golden orbs that glowed faintly from the fire. A shiver racked through her body as she watched him watching her. After a few minutes she blushed and realized her legs were still wide open. She quickly scrambled to a position so she wasn't so exposed and open to receive him.

Sesshomaru ran his hand slowly through his hair; some tendrils laced through his fingers and fell gently back behind him in his calm manner. "You will sleep in here for the night." He said softly.

Kagome expected him to go back to her and continue whatever he had started but instead he took a step back then pivoted on his heel, leaving the room altogether. She hung her head and let out a deep shaky breath. She felt like a fool for allowing whatever he had done to her. She felt weak and started to question herself. Normally she was a strong willed person and did not allow anyone to overpower her, but when Sesshomaru was close to her like he was, she was limp like a noodle.

She shifted uncomfortably and knew she was not going to sleep well that night. When she closed her eyes waiting for sleep to succumb her, she thought of the object she saw in the forbidden room. The glow it emitted and the aura it had… it made her think and grow more curious as to why he didn't want her to see this object. The wheels in her mind was turning and it made her think back to her past when she used to study in curses and know of certain objects… but this one she had never heard of or even seen. It must be very dark indeed.


	6. Missing

Chapter Six  
><em>"Missing"<em>

Five days before arrival:

Patting her dress to rid of the dirt from her dress, Kagome stood up after tending to her mother's garden of herbs. She stared off to the horizon hoping to see figures coming in her direction, but only to be let down when she saw nothing but barren fields. Because of the climate change and the cold air leaving the village that she could tend to the garden and sprout some herbs in hopes to heal her sick grandfather. But she had been unable and disappointment filled her belly with a wrenching pull. Her brother, Souta, had gone out of town with the henchmen by his side to go to the net town that was miles away to gather medicinal herbs but that was days ago. He should have been back by now and it left Kagome with an uneasiness that she could not explain. He should be fine, she told herself, there was nothing to worry about. Souta had gone to the next village many times and returned in a few days. But was it that she could not get rid of the feeling that something very wrong had happened?  
>Deep coughs broke her out of her thoughts; she looked over her shoulder to the small home and knew that grandfather was not getting any better. Quickly she retreated back inside from the cold and to her grandfather's bedside where her mother sat tending to him with a warm rung.<p>

"How is he doing?" Kagome asked softly.

Her mother turned her head away from the sleeping form of her father to look up at her daughter. With all her might, she tried to look at her daughter in a warm way but she knew that she was fooling no one. A sad smile lifted her lips but did not reach her eyes like it usually did. She released a heavy sigh and looked down at her hands and shook her head in response to her daughter.  
>Kagome placed a hand on her mother's shoulder in comfort and released a soft sigh. "We will get the medicine he needs. Do not worry." She said trying to reassure her mother. She scolded her little brother in her thoughts, wondering what was taking him so long to return. She knew if she had gone herself, she would have been back two days ago. After he returned she promised that she would be the one to go to the next village from now on. But just as quickly her anger came, it faded away and was replaced with worry. She just hoped that he was okay and on his way back. She fooled herself into thinking that Souta was caught up with girls in the next town.<p>

"Kagome, dear…" Her mother's voice broke through all thoughts.

Kagome blinked and looked back to her mother who had already stood up and was watching her with tired and worn eyes.

"Dear, could you go into town and get us some ingredients for supper tonight?" Her mother handed her some money and gave her a little smile.

With a nod, she took the money from her mother's palm. "Sure thing." She said softly as she glanced back at her grandfather who was still lying there with his eyes closed. His features showed his struggled and it made her heart ache.  
>She turned away and walked back into the main room to put on her shawl and grab her weaved basket that was sitting on the kitchen table. She turned back toward the room where her mother and grandfather were and let out a little sigh. Where are you Souta, she thought. She turned back to the front door and took her leave, which immediately she had to pull her shawl closer to her form to protect herself from the wind.<br>Her thoughts were a mess, one minute she was angry with her brother and the next she was concerned. She knew things would be right once he was home. The wind whistled in her ear that made her shiver and look up to the horizon where she always expect to the see her brother riding in. Something wasn't right and she didn't want to admit it aloud. She had always been close to Souta and something in her gut told her that he was in trouble.

"Souta, you better be okay or I will hurt you myself." She promised under her breath and let out a heavy sigh.

Within time she made it into the small town and waved at a few people who called out her name and waved at her. The town was always nice to her and sometimes gave her free things saying that she was a sweet girl. She gave them a small smile and wave and moved on, she just couldn't shake off the feeling she had and it was ruining her usually good mood.

"Hey Kagome, same as usual?" The merchant, Mr. Smith, asked as she approached his stand.

Kagome nodded and gave him a soft smile, "Yes sir." She handed him the money and started to grab the items she needed and placed them in her weaved basket.

"Hey, Kagome!"

Automatically Kagome stiffened when she heart that voice. She forced a smile and turned to face Kouga who was walking towards her, his accomplice following by his side. Kouga had his cocky smile as usual as he strode towards her. He wore his hair back in a ponytail; he had a white shirt with a dark fur coat and a dark brown pants and black boots. "Hi Kouga." She said weakly and started to walk back towards her cabin that was just outside of the little town. Kouga followed her which was of no surprise to her.

"Kagome, how is your grandfather doing?" Kouga asked, not sounding interested in the welfare of her grandfather.

She glanced at him then let out a sigh and looked straight ahead, "He is the same."

"Well, you know I would be able to help you if you became my woman. One day Kagome, you will be mine." He promised. She had heard all of this before and knew the guy was serious, but she wasn't serious about him.

Kouga grabbed her arm to stop her from walking. He turned her so she was facing him. "Listen here, Kagome. You are the only girl here who isn't married or old, it's bound to happen. I'm good looking and you are not bad for the eyes either." He grinned.

Kagome brushed his hand off her and took a step back, "I'm not the only girl in the world. There are other towns, Kouga. Besides, I'm not ready to marry." She played off and took another step back as he took one forward.

"Kagome, I know you're the one for me. I look at you and I see myself in you." He smirked.

"All right, Kouga! Nice one!" His accomplice cheered.

Kagome made a face then turned away from him and continued to walk away from him. She brushed off Kouga's pick up line and tried to ignore him as he called out to her. She quickly went inside her cabin and set the basket down on the table. "Hey, I'm home." She called out.

She jumped when her mother was right beside her and unpacking the basket. "Did you find everything okay?" Her mother asked as she set the food out on the table.

Kagome placed a hand on her chest and nodded. "Yeah, ran into Kouga again." She breathed out and removed her shawl from her shoulders and set it on the hook by the door.

Kagome's mother looked over at her and smiled, "Did he try to propose again?"

Kagome let out a soft laugh and shook her head, "The guy doesn't propose mom. He orders." She went back over to her mother's side and helped her with preparing supper.

Supper for the two women was quiet and very normal for them. The only sounds that would break the silence were the clink of their silverware hitting against the bowls and occasional slurps. A few times during their meal loud coughs and strangled breathing would break their concentration on eating. Both of them would look away from their bowls and toward the room that was occupied with a very sick man.

'Souta, where are you?' Kagome thought to herself sadly.

Her mother stood up and rushed into the bedroom to tend to her sick grandfather. Kagome sighed and looked down at her half eaten soup and knew her appetite had gone.

The front door to their house slammed open as three men walked in shivering and breathing hard. Kagome quickly stood up and rushed to their sides. She knew these men and knew that her brother had finally returned.

"Kagome!" One called out in a pant.

Kagome looked at all three of them with wide eyes and noticed that her brother hadn't come in. "Where is Souta?" She asked, her heart started to pound against her chest and her mouth went dry.

"He has been taken! We were on our way back when a storm hit us. We got lost and were attacked. Your brother has been taken by the warlord." One shouted; his eyes were wide with fear.

"What is going on?" Kagome's mother came into the room, her hands up to her mouth and her eyes were wide and already were teary.

Kagome looked over to her mother then back to the men who looked like they had seen a ghost. "How could he have been taken? The village isn't anywhere near his lands. How could the warlord take Souta?" None of this made sense to her. She had been to the next village and even with getting lost it would take days to reach the warlords lands!

One man shook his head and stepped closer to her, "We got lost in the storm. We thought we were travelling in the right direction but we were wrong. Please believe us when we say that has been abducted!"

Kagome's heart pounded and her stomach had the dropping sensation. Everything was spinning and she was feeling nauseated. Her brother had been captured by the warlord and she didn't know how she would be able to get him back. Her mother's cries broke her racing thoughts. She looked over to see her mother now on the ground, her face buried in her hands. Kagome looked back at the men and took in a shaky breath. This was the last thing this family needed. Her grandfather was sick and now her brother had been abducted and could be killed. She had to get her brother back to her mother.  
>"Do you think you could lead me to his lands?" Kagome asked trying to sound brave. But she didn't feel brave at that moment. She felt weak and sick to her stomach and thought that any moment she would pass out.<p>

The men looked at her with wide eyes, one shook his head.

"Kagome, that is too dangerous for you! You wouldn't make it through his lands alive." One stated.

Kagome's mother removed her hands from her face and crawled over to Kagome's legs and hugged them. "Kagome, no!" She sobbed.

Kagome lifted her chin up and straightened her shoulders, "No one has spoken of a female going through his lands. Perhaps he would be more forgiving if I were to go through. He could have a heart." She said hopefully, her voice growing stronger.

All three men were silent in their thoughts and all eyes were on her, she knew at that moment they were considering it. Her mother tugged at her dress to help stand on her shaky feet. "Kagome! You will not risk your life! I will not allow this!"

Kagome looked over at her mother and gave her a sad look, "Souta needs help." She said softly.

Her mother shook her head violently and grabbed onto Kagome's shoulders, "We could pay someone who is strong to go out there and retrieve him!" Her mother was starting to sound delirious.

"We don't have the money, mother! Besides even if we did, the man would be killed. Many men have been killed on the warlord's lands. Only a select few had survived only to warn us all not to ever trespass." She had to remind her mother. "If I go, I have a strong chance to survive and perhaps talk to the warlord in hopes that he would release Souta."

Her mother shook her head violently still as more tears poured down her cheeks. "I will not allow it! I can't lose both of my babies." She sobbed out.

Kagome let out a sigh of defeat and nodded, "Okay. I won't go." She mumbled then looked over at the men. "I will walk you all home." She stated.

She went over to the coat hanger and grabbed her shawl once more then wrapped it around herself and walked outside with the men, allowing a good few feet away from the house until she spoke to them. "In two days, you will lead me to his lands." She spoke softly but strongly.

One looked down at her with his eyebrows raised, "Kagome…" he whispered.

She shook her head and looked up at him then looked straight ahead, "I have made up my mind. We will leave after sunset in two days." She said with finality. She will travel to find her brother and bring him back home. If these men didn't want to lead her to the lands then she shall find it on her own, but she knew either way her brother would return home.


	7. Meals with the lord

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, been working some stuff out. I felt like putting a little humor in here and hopefully you catch it, if not.. oh well. Enjoy and leave some lovins! XO

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven<p>

Meals with the lord

The sound of the door slamming open woke Kagome out of her restless sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and groaned when she sat up. She felt she had knots in her neck and it was all do to the restless sleep she had last night sleeping on the wooden floors. She quickly reminded herself that her brother had been through worse and what she had been going through would have been a breeze for Souta.  
>When she looked down at herself she realized that she was nude and Miroku's voice broke the silence as he, what looked like to Kagome, pranced into the room.<p>

"Rise and shine, beautiful!" Miroku called as he clapped his hands together and made his way to the chained and very nude girl.

Kagome made a squeak and tried to cover at least her breasts in an attempt of modesty. The chains rattled with all her movements and just made it seem more obvious to her lack of dress state.

Miroku laughed as he approached her and threw a towel on her form, it quickly was covering her exposed areas.

"Did Sesshomaru send you?" Kagome asked a little outraged that he sent Miroku. How many times is this servant going to see her nude?

Miroku waved his hand and laughed as he approached her, "Of course, of course! But I wouldn't say his name without some kind of proper title in front of it." He tisked as he knelt down. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a key and started to fumble with her chains.

"You're in a lively mood." Kagome narrowed her eyes as she watched his face as he worked away releasing her from the chains. She gripped the towel closer to her chest wishing Sesshomaru didn't have a knack for ripping her clothes.

Miroku let out a little laugh and looked into her eyes, stopping what he was doing, "What makes you say that?"

Kagome frowned a little, making her lower lip jut out just a little, "Haven't seen you all cheery. But what do I know? I have only been here for…" she trailed off as she tried to think how long she had been there. It felt like forever.

"Only a night dear." Miroku smiled at her but it seemed to look like a sad smile to her.

"That's right." Kagome mumbled and let out a huff.

Miroku looked back down at her wrists and unlocked her chains and set them down on the ground. He stood up and grabbed her hand to help her stand up. "As of today, you will be helping the servants." Miroku said cheerfully.

Kagome tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows, "Do what?"

Miroku turned and tugged Kagome along with him out of the bedroom; he kept his hand on her lower back as he led her through the maze like hallway. "Master Sesshomaru has decided that the best route to keep you out of trouble is to have you work around the castle with myself and other servants. He said you have a knack for wondering around and that we might as well show you what is and isn't allowed and where you can cannot be." He said with a laugh in his voice.

"That's odd." Kagome said thoughtfully.

"What is dear?" his hand started to move slowly down to her rear and rub gently.

Kagome turned beet red and whipped around to look at him, her mouth opened ready to start yelling at him.

He laughed and waved his hand in front of him, "Sorry, sorry! You are just so cute. My hand has a mind of its own. Continue." He chuckled and started to walk again.

Kagome snapped her mouth shut and pulled the towel around her more and started to follow him again. She let out a sigh and looked at him from the corner of her eye, "What is odd is that I'm here in place of my brother. He wasn't treated this way. He was held in a cell." She pointed out.

Miroku let out a groan and looked at her, "You should really stop bringing that up."

Kagome fisted her hands and glared at Miroku. "What do you mean by that?"

"Your brother is no longer here. You are. If I were you, I would go with the motions and be thankful that you aren't being tortured and held in a cell like your brother was." Miroku's voice went sullen and his eyes started to haze, like as if he was hurting thinking about her brother.

Kagome bit her tongue and kept following Miroku as he led her back to her side of the wing and to her room. On her bed was a brown dress that she would have worn back at home, but she was sure it was now her uniform.

"I will be waiting in the kitchen; do you remember how to get there?"

Kagome nodded once and the doors closed to her room. She let out a breath and didn't realize she was holding onto it until she released it. She felt like today was going to be a long day and knew she was going to be right about it.

xXx

"Okay Kagome, this is Sango. She is the second in charge." Miroku pulled Sango close to him, but she noticed the annoyed look on Sango's face. Probably because his hand was on her butt like what he tried to do with Kagome.

She was quite beautiful. She had fare skin, raven hair that was pulled up into a bun and a soft pink pastel work dress on with an apron around her waist. Kagome smiled at her. "I'm Kagome."

Sango peeled herself away from Miroku and stepped towards Kagome with a smile, "I heard. I'm Sango and it's a great pleasure to finally meet you." She gave Kagome a tiny bow.

Kagome blushed and let out a nervous laugh and looked away while pushing back some hair.

"So now that the two of you have met, it's time to get ready for breakfast." Miroku clapped his hands together. "Kagome, you will help Sango set up the dining room for the meal."

Kagome looked back at Miroku and raised her eyebrows, she knew something was up but just couldn't put her finger on it. He was acting weird and she had no idea why and what it was. She followed Sango out of the kitchen. They walked down the long hallway and veered left through double doors. In the room there was a large table with scarlet red table cloth covering the dark wood. There was a fireplace and two large leather seats that sat in front of it. On one wall there was a wooden cupboard that probably held all the plates, bowls and silver wear. The room was all wood and the ceiling was high and in the middle was a large window to show the dark sky and a few stars.

"Beautiful huh?" Sango's voice broke Kagome out of her trance.

She blinked and looked to her side and saw that Sango was staring at her but with a smile. Kagome nodded and watched as Sango walked ahead of her and went straight to the cupboard and grabbed two plates and set them down. Kagome raised her eyebrows and watched as she prepared the table for two people.

"Who is he planning on eating with?"

Sango looked up and raised her eyebrows, "Miroku didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Sango stepped away from the table and slowly walked over to her, "You have to eat each meal with Lord Sesshomaru."

"I was requested last night to eat dinner with Sess- Lord Sesshomaru, but I refused. I honestly don't want to eat with-"

"Aww, why not?" A little voice asked that broke Kagome off.

She quickly turned and saw a little boy with red hair and a cute face run toward her, "I'm Shippo!" he squealed excited and hugged her legs.

Kagome laughed and bent down so she was face to face with the little boy, "I'm Kagome."

Shippo laughed and placed his hands on her bent knees, "I know that, silly. Everyone here knows who you are."

Kagome raised her eyebrows and half smiled, "Is that so?"

He nodded vigorously, "MHM! We all think you're going to break the curse!" He cheered and beamed up at her.

"The curse? So then it's true?" Kagome asked a little excited that her assumptions might be true.

Sango quickly pulled the little boy away from Kagome and gave a nervous laugh as she covered his tiny mouth, "He's but a child. He knows nothing much at all. Come, we still need to get everything ready." Sango quickly pulled Shippo out of the room leaving Kagome kneeling there confused.

She stood up and turned so she was once again facing the room and staring at the table.

"I trust you slept well?" There was no mistaking for that deep sinister voice.

Kagome went stiff and she felt chills spread through her body. She slowly turned and saw Sesshomaru filling the large doorway, his presence reaching out to her and overcrowding her.

She nodded once and stared at him, his deep golden eyes set on her and his lips set in a line looking neither happy nor sad. His eyes flickered and looked her over once then back up to her face. A blush rose up to her cheeks and she had no idea why.

He took a few steps toward her and he was in her personal space, his face mere inches away from hers. She tilted her head back to look up into his eyes and his claws were tangling themselves in her raven hair.

Kagome's heart raced in her chest and tried to make sense out of why he was acting this way. She pushed her hands out onto his chest and tried to push away from him, but he grasped onto her hair tighter and jerked her against him. His body heat radiated through his armor and clothes and straight through her.

His eyes narrowed more and as he leaned in more and placed his nose into her hair and took in a deep breath. Kagome felt like at any moment if she went stiffer, she was sure to break into a million pieces. She had no idea what the Lord was doing and why. He pulled away from her and walked past her to the fireplace.

"Leave." He softly commanded.

Kagome moved her feet and quickly left the room and into the kitchen, wanting to know what just happened.

_Did the creep just sniff my hair?_

Kagome went into the kitchen and the smell of breakfast hit her and made her mouth water.

"What's wrong?" Miroku asked as he turned and looked at her.

Kagome shook her head, "Nothing."

Miroku raised his eyebrows and turned and went back to working on getting part of the food ready. The main cook was over at the stove, she was an old woman and probably at one point was as tall as Kagome, but because of her hunched state, she was much shorter.

"Kagome, it is requested by the Lord that you change out of your servant garments and into something nicer. Follow me." Sango said as she came into the kitchen, with Shippo following behind her.

Kagome looked at her and raised her eyebrows, "Shouldn't I be helping preparing breakfast though?" She asked, hoping to get out eating breakfast with Sesshomaru.

Sango shook her head and smiled, "It was requested by the Lord that you do this."

Kagome's shoulders slumped and she sighed, "Okay." She mumbled and followed Sango and Shippo.

Kagome was uncomfortably seated across from Sesshomaru to where he can watch her as she ate. She was dressed up and of course the dress itself didn't do much with help with covering up her chest. She stared down at her plate that hadn't been touched and felt bad that she was refusing to eat. It honestly looked good, but she didn't want to eat in front of Sesshomaru.

"Eat." He commanded softly.

She looked up and saw that his plate hadn't been touched either. "You first."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow but quickly it was back in its normal state. "I don't like repeating myself."

Kagome looked away from him and lifted up her chin and closed her eyes. "Neither do I."

She felt a little bold and a little good to be defiant against him, but she knew it wouldn't last long. He had no problem with punishing her.

She waited for him to say something, but nothing came. She waited for him to rip her out of her seat, but that didn't happen. She opened her eyes and looked back at where he was sitting and he was watching her.

She narrowed her eyes back at him and stared at him without blinking, trying to show she wasn't afraid of him.

"Such confidence." He murmured. "Shall I take you back up to the cell?" a faint smirk appeared then disappeared.

Kagome kept her eyes narrowed, not being all too serious about it, strangely she was teasing him but she found much amusement from it all.

Sesshomaru stood up slowly; flicked back his hair with his eyes closed then slowly slid his eyes open and had them narrowed at the girl, who still glared at him teasingly.

"Such immaturity."

Kagome's eyes slowly widened then she smiled faintly and watched as Sesshomaru calmly walked around the table and stopped by her chair and stared down at her with an icy glare then walked out of the room.

She looked behind her to see if he was really gone then looked down at her uneaten plate and started to eat in peace. A small piece of her felt guilty for practically chasing Sesshomaru out of the room. She knew she would have to find him after dinner and apologize and try to at least make peace with him.


	8. Man VS Beast

A/N: I would like to thank Lindsay from Dokuga for editing this for me and making it much more thrilling. I also would like to thank you all for the reviews and happy to hear that you are enjoying this as much as I am. This chapter is a little shorter and I apologize, but it has a cliffhanger. The next chapter is currently in the works and will be up sooner than you think. Leave some lovins. XO

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><p>Chapter Eight<p>

Man VS Beast

Sesshomaru

The fearless warlord paced in his favorite study as his thoughts overtook him. He could not stop thinking about the girl and the blasted curse! He stopped moving and glared at the window, loathing the fact that he couldn't get Kagome out of his thoughts. Granted he was not infatuated with the girl, being a human and all, but there was something very peculiar about her. And as much as he didn't want to admit, he'd gotten his hopes up, listening and even going so far as believing the rumors from his servants that she would be the one to break the curse. Some of the things he had done to the girl were purely animalistic and his beast's fault, things that he definitely didn't approve of nor condone. Normally, he prided himself on being a creature of control but around Kagome, his beast could not get enough of her. It seemed as though she was going to be quite bothersome to the Lord.

He shook his head and looked away from the window, averting his golden gaze to the map that was sprawled out on his wooden desk. He took a step toward the desk, sharp eyes landing on the marking of his castle and the marking of Kagome's home town. Her little brother Souta should have arrived this morning, what with his warriors escorting him and all. He snarled to himself as he thought of the girl's sibling and turned away from the desk.

He felt like he was losing himself and she had only been here for a mere two days!

Shesshomaru bore his fangs, snarling once more before standing in deafening silence of his office. He'd lost control of his beast last night when he found the girl rummaging through his personal wing, taking action when he came upon her in his most private of chambers. He had undressed her and felt her, only to find out that it was not enough. His beast could not get enough. When his beast wasn't in control, he didn't want anything to do with the girl, especially anything that involved her being naked. He knew his beast was close to taking more, doing more to the virgin last night, but thankfully he was able to rein in his beast before his beast could take what he so desired.

He felt like a laughing stock to his beast, it laughed at his actions and told him either way he was taking the human for his own. Continuing to mock and confirm that one day the reasonable Sesshomaru that his servants knew would disappear behind his influence, never return and forever stay the beast, leaving his primal urges free to indulge in the girl until she ceased to exist. Sesshomaru lifted his head up and stared at the wooden door to leave the room, almost as though he were willing himself to leave, but his feet never lifted and he stayed frozen in his spot. His nostrils flared and his eyes closed as he thought of himself acting very much beastly with the girl. He imagined his beast taking her, burying himself to the hilt in the first thrust, breaking her barrier and hearing her scream. He clenched his fists tightly, so his claws were digging into the palm of his hands, bringing pain to keep himself under control. His beast would mate the girl, veering from her virginal ideals of gentle love and strive more towards his nature, his desire. He would mate this attractive creature in a very brutal and unforgiving way, his beast would enjoying every second of it, pushing and working to try to make his captor scream more. He snarled when he started to feel sympathy for the girl. She was human! He held no sympathy for humans.

He couldn't figure out why it was that his beast was so enthralled with Kagome. This morning he'd found her in the dining room, standing there lost in thought he felt drawn to her. He'd even gone so far as to approached her and nestle his nose in her hair, taking in her intoxicating smell, memorizing it, basking in it. He'd snarled at himself and his beast, hating that he'd found her scent pleasurable and the fact that he'd even indulged in the scenting at all! He tried to push it off, justifying to himself that the only reason he and his beast were reacting like this towards her was because they hadn't taken part in the pleasures of a female in such a long time. How unfortunate for the human.  
>How lovely for the human, his beast corrected.<p>

Sesshomaru's eyes snapped open and he glared at the door again. He could feel himself about to lose a battle. He was ready just to let his beast reign over and do whatever he wanted with the girl so he could have a moment's peace from these unsettling and unwanted urges. But his dignity and pride stood in the way and he wouldn't allow anyone, especially a human girl, to see him out of control. It was simply beneath him.

He turned his back to the door and slowly made his way over to the back wall where alcohol was sitting along with a set of ready cups. He stood there, staring down at the liquor and tried to purge his mind of Kagome and onto something else.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

That voice.

His nostrils flared, his eyes widened and his beast clawed at its cage, urging to be released. Sesshomaru clenched his hands tighter against his side, rejecting his beasts demand and he kept staring at the liquor but his senses spread out and onto the human girl. He felt her move more into the room.

"What are you doing here?" his voice sounded bored, but deep inside he was once again fighting a battle with his beast and he felt on edge, tense, much the opposite of bored.

"I wanted to come see you. I didn't mean to-" Kagome let out a breath then let one back in, "I didn't mean to chase you out of breakfast."

Sesshomaru tilted his head and slowly turned around to face the girl who was blushing and looking down at her hands. She felt guilty and he didn't care at all. If anything, he completely forgot all about the fact that she was mocking him earlier in the morning at breakfast. He watched the girl for a couple more seconds then turned back to stare at the shelves that held the thing he wanted most at the moment. His beast argued otherwise. There was something in this room that he desired far more than liquor.

"You're angry aren't you?" Kagome asked as she started to move closer to him. "I feel like we had a rough start." She was talking all too much and he didn't like her hanging around. He could smell her nervousness and his beast was once again feeding off of her emotions and scent.

He reached out and grabbed a small glass, put a few ice cubes into the cup then poured his favorite whisky in. As he was about to take a drink, a small warm hand rested on his bicep. He froze and felt every hair stand on end. His senses honed in on the girl and her breathing. He looked in the corner of his eye and saw her looking up at him with her blue eyes and her face upturned.

His beast was clawing at him and snarling wanting to grab onto the girl and take her there. He pulled away from the girl and turned to face her. Did she not realize how dangerous he was? What a poor, pitiful and dumb human girl. Anyone with common sense would have sensed the danger in him and stayed as far away from him as they could. But no, the girl was practically throwing herself at him and he very much disliked it, no matter how much his beast loved it.

"Hn."

Kagome moved closer to him so her body was almost pressed up against him, even though he'd made the choice in pulling away before. Her hand came back to rest on his arm and he knew she was not going to move it on her own again. What had possessed this girl to come to him and to be so close to him?

"If I am to be here for the rest of my life, I might as well try to be on your good side. Could you at least talk to me?" She begged, her lips pursed out and made his manhood swell.

He quickly pulled away from her a second time, striding across the room as he tried to reign in his resolve before he finally turned his head to her over his shoulder, "Leave."

Kagome stood there with her hands against her chest, staring at him with her wide eyes. It only made him harder to see just how innocent she really was. His beast, purely enjoying the situation and urging him to take her.

Only a taste. It would be nothing new to see her nude once more and to taste her nectar. She clearly wanted him, why else would she be here? His beast reasoned.

Sesshomaru blinked and tried to push his beast's thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't handle much more and had to get the girl out of this room before he did something low of himself.

"I don't want to leave." Kagome said softly.

Sesshomaru looked away from her and glared at the wall as his beast pushed harder. He clenched his jaws and bared his teeth. "I suggest you leave or you will regret what will happen next." It sounded more of a growl, a warning but really to him, it was a plea. He didn't want her!  
>Kagome stood in her spot and didn't move, completely ignorant to the fact that he was about to lose the battle with his all but thrashing beast. He watched as she took one step then another towards him and knew it was the end of reasoning. He lost.<br>A growl vibrated through his chest and he saw all red as he felt his beast break through and take control. He was forced to let go of the reins and just let his beast take over everything. He tried. He really did and would not feel guilty for what was about to happen, knowing what his beast had been aching for since she was shackled in the basement, half bare and exposed to his hungry eyes.  
>What a stupid girl.<p>

Kagome

Her eyes widened as she saw Lord Sesshomaru's eyes widen and turn red, his mouth was full of fangs and his claws were longer. He looked feral and his eyes were locked on her. Kagome quickly took a step back and put her hand up in front of her. "I will leave now." She gulped, instantly second guessing her original intention.

She let out a yelp as he blurred before ending up in front of her, pressed against her with his red eyes staring down into hers. His claws were on her lower back and as he urged her backwards by walking forward until her back hit the wall. "You should have listened." He growled, sounding guttural, raw and wanting, needing. The sound alone sent unwilling chills rolling through her spine and her breath to catch in her throat. He had a mocking smirk on his lips as he stared her down. The moment was short lived when she watched his eyes lower, assessing her overly covered figure.

Kagome gasped and let out a sound of protest, squirming, trying to get out of the trap of his body and a wall when he started to slash her dress into pieces and expose her nude form.


	9. Morsel

The chapter you all have been waiting for! Sorry for the cliffhanger, but whateves. ;) There will be errors in here and I'm sorry, I just got too excited to wait for the edited version so later on it will be posted, until then just brace yourselves. YES I used the word butterfly to describe some womanly parts, but it was a challenge and I accepted. If anything, it's for a laugh. Thank you all for the reviews and I hope you enjoy.

Leave some love, it truly motivates me!

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><p>Chapter Nine<p>

"Morsel"

Kagome shook her head as she attempted to cover herself from Sesshomaru's beastly gaze. She squealed and tried to push his claws away as he pinned her hands above her head against the wall. His red eyes trailed over her naked body and the look itself spoke enough: He was hungry. She shook her head and gasped as he growled and leaned in, caught her lips with his and kissed her fiercely. She attempted to put up a fight, to push him away or not respond, but he fought harder and forced her mouth open with his tongue and found its way through her cavern and explored. Kagome groaned as he pushed closer against her and grinded his lean hips against hers as he continued to kiss her.

She had never imagined her first kiss to be something like this and it was shocking and a little disappointing. It felt nice to have someone's lips against hers but she was disappointed that for the fact it was unwanted for the most part. She didn't know whether she was enjoying the kiss or not and it made her question herself. She could feel her reason and sanity slowly slip away with as his tongue worked against hers and his body pressed harder. She gasped against his lips as one of his hands disappeared from above her head and was touching her moist nether regions. His movements were fluid and quick. She held back a moan as one of his digits slid into her and pushed into her virginal walls. His thumb automatically went to her swelling pearl and started to rub it hard as he moved his finger quickly in and out of her.

Kagome's head fell back away from the kiss and took in deep breaths and held back more moans. She let out a few yelps as he pushed further into her then he released deep growls against her neck.

"Moan." He growled out the order against her neck.

Kagome shook her head frantically as she closed her eyes, trying to keep her gaze away from him. He snarled and added a second finger with the first that was buried deep in her. Kagome's eyes widened and met his red ones, a loud moan escaping her as his thumb worked her clit.

Slowly, his lips turned into a feral grin, his fingers worked harder into her and he leaned in nipping at her neck. "More. Moan. MORE." He growled. He released his other hand and held onto her waist.

Kagome tried, she really tried. She didn't want to lose herself in this but he was bringing her out of her mind and it was what he wanted. She allowed Sesshomaru take advantage of her and at that point, she didn't care. She felt like jello in his arms and she didn't mind.

Kagome let out louder moans as he worked her, as if he knew how she worked and what would make her release. His lips went up to her ear and nipped several times before he started to suck on her lobe. She couldn't seem to control herself and her body had started to work on its own. Her hips bucked up against his hand and her arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer against her. She felt like a bitch in heat and it ashamed her. It was like Sesshomaru had control of her and her body and there was nothing she could do about it other than enjoy the ride.

She felt herself being moved then lifted and gasped as Sesshomaru had lifted her up against the wall so his face was nestled into her butterfly. She grasped onto his hair to hold on as he had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and her legs wrapped around his shoulders. "No stop!" Kagome gasped but then moaned as his long tongue licked her swollen clit.

Sesshomaru's red eyes flicked up to her face and watched her as she looked down in a haze and watched his long tongue flick out and licked her from bottom to top of her privates. Kagome let out a louder moan and her head fell back in a slump as he worked his tongue faster against her.

"Say my name." Sesshomaru growled against her, making her moan from the vibrations that it had created.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru." She gasped out and grabbed onto his hair as he pressed more into her. She felt him grab onto her buttocks with his claws and let them dig in just a little to bring her some pain.

She couldn't believe herself and that she was acting this way. Her family would have been so disappointed in her if they had ever found out about this and how she acted. She knew Sesshomaru was not himself, his eyes were blazing red and his voice was much deeper, guttural. He looked like the beast that she first saw when she met him.

"Keep saying it!" he demanded as he went back to working her.

Kagome let out louder moans as she bucked and moved her hips with him. She started to feel a tickling feeling she had never felt before that made her jerk around. She hissed and dug her nails into his scalp as the feeling grew more intense and his tongue worked faster against her.

"You should be thankful to have this Sesshomaru show you his devotion." His words were guttural and rough, not at all sounding like he usually did. "Now come for me!"

"Sesshomaru!" She screamed out. She felt herself leaving her body as a large explosion within herself. She soared high into the clouds far above the castle then she started to float back down to her body and felt heavy like stones.

When she became more aware, she had realized that he had at some point gotten undressed and had his large and very thick manhood exposed for her to see. He was standing in front of her, holding onto her waist and he was breathing hard. Her juices were still on his lips that gleamed in the candlelight and his bright red eyes were slanted. She stared down at the thing and felt her breath stop in her throat and her eyes slowly inched up his sculpted body and to his eyes.

He turned her around so her ass was exposed and pushed out so he could get a clear view of her. Kagome tried to move away but was stopped short when he growled and held onto her and pulled her buttocks apart to expose her holes. She gasped as she felt his large head press against her opening, slowly pushing its way in.

"Sesshomaru please don't do this!" Her voice cracked a bit as she begged him.

Sesshomaru looked up at her; his eyes went from red to gold. It seemed to her like he was trying to gain control of himself but he was fighting it. He quickly pulled away from her and snarled. Kagome gasped and stood up straight and watched him.

"Leave!" he roared.

Kagome nodded and without thinking she grabbed her tattered dress and ran out of the room, away from Sesshomaru before he had the chance to chase after her.

She was able to make it to her chambers without being seen, or so she had hoped. She went into the bathing room and slid into the hot water and hugged herself, thinking about what had happened to her. Lord Sesshomaru had indulged in her and was about to take her virginity. But when she saw his eyes, she realized that he was fighting himself, but it was a different being that was fighting with him. She shivered when she thought about the way he handled her. She hadn't heard much about sex and how things were supposed to go, but it seemed the man was not very selfish in the bedroom. She touched her lips with her fingers and blushed.

Great. Now she felt confused and she didn't like this. She wasn't in love with the guy but that didn't mean she liked him either. But the way his lips worked against hers and the things that he made her feel were… other worldly.

Kagome groaned and leaned her head back against the side of the bathing pool and stared up at the ceiling. She had not expected this to happen and she didn't know what to do.

She decided that she was just going to act the same and hope that Sesshomaru doesn't try anything more and act like nothing happened either.

xXx

"Kagome, we are going through the castle and dusting, care to join?" Sango asked holding up an old feather duster that looked it could fall apart at any given moment.

It was asked if she wanted to, but Kagome knew she had to. She nodded as she grabbed the duster and followed Sango around and helped dust. Kagome's eyes watched the feathers and some recent events went through her mind.

She looked over at Sango who hummed and dusted away at an object.

"Sango, have you ever left the castle?" Kagome asked nonchalantly as she dusted.

Sango stopped humming then looked at Kagome over her shoulder, "MM, no." she raised her eyebrows and looked back at the object she was dusting, "Why?" she sounded on guard and it peaked Kagome's interest more.

Kagome played with the feathers of the duster and glanced over to Sango then back down at the feathers. "How long have you been here?"

Kagome looked up as Sango approached Kagome and had a solemn face, "Kagome, I suggest you not to ask questions like that." She whispered, her eyes darted around then landed back onto the young girl, "You may think we are alone, but we never are." She whispered.

She raised her eyebrows at Sango's statement and how she walked away from Kagome and continued her dusting and humming.

Kagome sighed and walked down the large hallway and dusted whatever she could. She knew asking Sango anything would be more cryptic and less useful than what Miroku would say. She could at least understand a little of what he hinted, but most of the time he would just do a full circle around her questions and not have to answer anything.  
>She had thought about confronting Sesshomaru and asking him, but he was not a man of words. The last time she tried to talk to him, he did less talking and more action. She blushed as her thoughts started to veer off and go to the recent events with Sesshomaru. He was probably hiding away somewhere and she didn't mind that one bit.<p>

Sango had left Kagome's sight, leaving Kagome to wander around by herself, pretending she was dusting. But she was slowly making her way up to Sesshomaru's wing and back towards the room where the glowing object was.  
>To her it made no sense and she wanted to understand.<p>

What was so special about that feather?


	10. Not what he seems

Thank you all for the reviews, I truly do enjoy reading them. I don't know if you all caught the reveal at the end of the last chapter but I will tell you: Yes, the mention of the feather was the glowing object she saw in room before Sesshomaru took her to one of his chambers.

I have many more Sess/Kag stories on a different site, that I haven't put on here only for the reason that it's purely adult. If I post on it then I'm pushing my luck and don't really want to do that. SO, check out my other stories.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter and leave me some awesome reviews and love.

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><p>Chapter Ten<p>

"Not what he seems"

Kagome slowly made her way back to Sesshomaru's wing; she dusted a few objects on her way trying not to look suspicious if Sesshomaru were to sneak up on her. She heard some voices echo through the long hallway; at first it made her jump and her heart race, thinking that Sesshomaru was going to catch her heading back to the forbidden room. But no one came down the hall and no one was behind her when she checked. She stood there frozen as she listened to the two male voices, one was yelling while the other had a harsh tone. She got curious and made her way down the hall until she saw a door that was cracked open, the room was lit by a fireplace and bunches of candles and there stood Miroku flailing his arms around and Sesshomaru glaring daggers at him.

"She is finally here and she could break the curse on ALL of us and you are doing nothing but giving her a hard time and scaring her. I am surprised to say that she hasn't run away yet!" Miroku sounded upset. She was surprised to see Miroku, who was a servant, yelling at the Lord.

Sesshomaru bared his fangs at the frustrated Miroku, "She wouldn't dare to leave the castle grounds."

Miroku put his hands on his hips and returned the deadly glare of the Lord's with his own, "You must not know the girl very well then. She obviously made it on her own without a scratch when others have died to get through, what makes you think she can't manage to leave without a scratch, hm?"

Kagome's eyebrows rose at the tone Miroku took to their Lord. She was even more shocked that Lord Sesshomaru did nothing but stand there and only glared. She leaned against the wall next to the door just so that her eyes could see into the room and watch everything play out.

"You aren't the only one who has a curse over their head! I'm exhausted of this, it's been hundreds of years and finally we all have a chance to move on and live and you are FUCKING it up!" Miroku continued.

She covered her mouth to hold back a gasp. She hadn't known Miroku for a very long time, but granted, the man was light hearted and care free and to hear him talk the way he did, she knew he was mad.

Sesshomaru growled, "You dare talk to this Sesshomaru that way? You petulant human! I make no mistakes and what I do is none of your concern." He roared.

If Sesshomaru had talked to her like that, she would have ran off. But Miroku stood his ground and took a step toward the Lord to show his defiance, "It is my concern, considering that I, as well as the others in this castle, are cursed along with our 'mighty' Lord."

Kagome's eyes settled on Sesshomaru and noticed that he was still battling his control and with Miroku yelling at him, it didn't help one bit with his frustration.

"All I ask, my Lord, is to woo the girl." Miroku said softly, changing his tone. He took a couple steps back, probably realized that Sesshomaru was about to snap. "We all finally have a chance and it wouldn't hurt if you swallowed your pride and treat the girl better." Miroku finished with a whisper.

Sesshomaru turned around with a swish, his red cape dancing behind him then settling back down. "Hn."

Miroku bowed to his Lord, "Thank you." He then stood straight and headed out of the room.

Kagome scurried away from the door and quickly down the hall and started to pretend that she was dusting objects here and there. She heard the door that was at seconds ago, click as it shut. She looked over and saw Miroku walking her direction with a smile on his lips.

"Ah, Kagome." He sounded pleasant and not at all like he did when he was yelling at Lord Sesshomaru.

She blushed and stopped pretending she was dusting, "Oh Miroku. Hi." She said awkwardly. She hoped that he didn't know she was there and listened to his 'conversation' with Lord Sesshomaru.

"Would you like to take a break and have some tea with me?" he asked with a grin.

It was so odd to see Miroku happy and smiling when only mere moments ago, he was screaming and looked like he could kill someone. She also gained new information about the residents in the castle. There truly was a curse, but kind of curse was it? Why was she so important with this curse? Were they even talking about her? Maybe Miroku was talking about a different girl. There were so many questions she had but she didn't want to ask Miroku, he would then realize that she was eavesdropping on his conversation.

She nodded and gave him a sweet smile, "I would love to."

Xxx

Kagome sat at the same wooden table that she sat at with Miroku not very long ago. She realized that a lot has happened since her stay here at the palace. She had only been here two days and it felt like she had been there for weeks. Last night was eventful and she only got little to none sleep. She let out a little sigh and watched as Miroku busied himself around the kitchen, preparing the tea as well as fixing them a little snack.

She wanted to ask him everything that was going on and who he was talking about when he was yelling at Lord Sesshomaru. She had the feeling it was all about her and Sesshomaru played a big part in it. She sucked in some air and let it out slowly as she tried to calm her nerves, for she was going to ask Miroku and hope that he doesn't get upset.

"Miroku." She said weakly, distracting him from his task.

He stopped for a second, looked over his shoulder with his eyebrows raised, "Hm?" he smiled then brought a tray of fruit over and set it down between them.

"There is clearly something going on here. I didn't mean to listen to your-" she gulped "conversation, but I happened upon it. You were so upset-"

Miroku's face made her stop dead. She twisted her hands in her lap and felt sweat already on her face. He looked confused then he looked upset, but slowly he masked it all and grinned.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But I heard you yelling and-"

Miroku shook his head and started to laugh, "Kagome, it's fine." He laughed out and went back to the kettle that was on the burner. He took it off and brought two tea cups over along with the simmering tea. He took a seat across from Kagome and poured them some tea; all the while he had the grin.

"Something amuses you?" she asked, still careful on what she said.

Miroku let out a soft hum as he sipped his tea then gently placed it on the table. "Kagome," he sighed out and reached for her hand. He held onto her warm hand gently and stared into her deep blue eyes, "Lord Sesshomaru is not as bad as he seems to be. You are terrified of him are you not?"

Kagome blushed, memories of earlier this morning with the Lord flashed through her mind and she nodded to Miroku's question.

He patted her hand gently and let out a knowing soft laugh, "The man has been secluded for a while, you can't blame him all too much on his manners. It seems he forgot how to be a gentleman." He carefully explained. She could tell he was holding back some of the truth. She had witnessed Sesshomaru's beast, he was no mere man.

"Oh?" she asked, wanting him to continue anyways when he didn't continue to speak.

He pulled away and leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh, "I know he has a heart, I have seen it a couple of times." He mumbled and lifted his tea cup to his lips and took a sip. Kagome mimicked his actions and looked down into her tea cup. The tea was amazing and much better than what she had ever had in her small town. This must be a foreign tea and very expensive.

"I know you can get through to him. He just needs to warm up a bit. After all-"he laughed as he continued, "The guy hasn't seen a young maiden in such a long time. I'm sure he is a bit nervous." He winked at her.

Kagome opened her mouth to say something but she didn't know what to say. She closed her mouth and looked down at her tea cup and mused. She wouldn't what to do to show her kindness and to hopefully make him open up, but more in a vocal way rather than the beastly physical way he tried this morning. Why would Lord Sesshomaru be nervous? She couldn't imagine him being nervous, he seemed so arrogant and so knowledgeable.

"You might have noticed that he doesn't look very much like a man." Miroku continued.

She lifted her head and raised her eyebrows at Miroku's strange comment. He doesn't look very much like a man? What on earth? He looked like a man and then some! He was attractive and she knew that he knew he was handsome, which is why he is so cocky.

"But sometimes looks aren't really everything, beauty." He sighed out and looked at Kagome with hope in his eyes. "That could be why you are so scared of him. I understand. A lot of people who were lucky to come here," he cracked a sad smile, "who had witnessed to see Lord Sesshomaru, screamed bloody murder." He shook his head and let out a little sigh.

What on earth was Miroku talking about? Was he implying that Sesshomaru wasn't a handsome man? What did he mean that previous people who came here screamed as soon as they saw his appearance? Could it be there did not see what she saw? Could it be what she had witnessed when she first met him, that beast she had met was truly what people saw? She very rarely saw that in him. She saw his stoic and very beautiful face, his molten golden eyes, the beautiful crescent moon on his forehead and the smooth magenta lines along his cheeks. She knew he couldn't be a human, but he didn't look terrifying like what Miroku is making him seem to look like.

She tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows further, "Miroku, what on earth are you talking about?"

Miroku looked at her confused, "What do you mean, what do I mean? The man is beastly! He is ravage! He does not look the same anymore! Just his mere looks chase women away. He has a snout for Kami's sake! He is between human looking and dog looking."

Kagome shook her head and laughed, "You must be blinded. I see a beautiful man."

Miroku leaned back with his eyes widened and his mouth open just a little, "What do you mean?" he asked breathless. "What does he look like to you?"

"He has the most beautiful golden eyes I have ever seen. His face is so delicate but so strong at the same time; he could be almost mistaken as a female. His lips are thin but yet just enough to be soft to the touch." She blushed that she was describing how she saw Sesshomaru. "He has beautiful silver white hair and his hands-"she paused as she remembered what he had done with those hands, especially those fingers.

Miroku's eyes were still wide and his mouth had opened just a little more, "Oh, Kami. So it must be true… we must be right." He whispered.

Kagome tilted her head, "What do you mean?" she asked not understanding what Miroku was talking about.

Miroku stood up and grabbed Kagome by her delicate shoulders and made her stand up, his brown eyes bore into her blue ones, "Kagome," he gasped out, "Please." He begged softly.

Kagome shook her head and tried to make sense on what Miroku was saying. Was the man begging her? "I'm not understanding."

"Give the Lord a chance. He has a temper but it seems you do as well and you can rise above him and make him grovel in want and need for you. The Lord just needs a chance." He whispered, almost begging.

Kagome took a step back from Miroku and felt butterflies in her stomach and her heart was pounding. Whatever it was, giving Lord Sesshomaru a chance did not seem horrible. Miroku seemed desperate and out of character. She let out a little breath and nodded, "I will do my best. But how can I show him kindness?"

Miroku smiled and clapped his hands together, "The Lord has a weak spot for a woman's cooking. He loves new types of food and meals. Make him something and I'm sure he will appreciate it. After all, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Kagome opened her mouth; she wanted to say that she didn't want Sesshomaru's heart. She just wanted to show him some kindness. But he didn't allow her to speak as he went through the kitchen grabbing things she might need for her cooking.

Great, she had to think of something to make that the Lord has never had. But having Miroku around and with her suggestions, he let her know if he had that meal or not before.

In the end, for lunch she had made Sesshomaru a very simple meal of a meat broth soup with vegetables and bits of meat. It astounded her when Miroku said that Sesshomaru has never had anything like that before and it was interesting. She put his meal, as well as hers, on the tray with two napkins and two spoons.

Miroku had left to see where their Lord was and retrieve him for their lunch. She went out of the kitchen and into the dining room where the beautiful man was already seated in his spot and watched her as she approached him with the tray.

She bit her lower lip and tried not to stare into his eyes. She couldn't help the flood of memories of this morning and oddly she was shaking. From her being nervous or from her arousal? She couldn't tell, but she was sure he knew.

She set the tray down and placed the bowl of soup in front of him, along with his napkin and spoon.

"My Lord." She whispered and gave him a little bow then took a seat of her own that was across from him. She placed her own bowl of soup in front of her and started to scoop up the broth with her spoon and gently blew on it.

She looked up to watch Sesshomaru and he was already eating away at the meal, seeming lost in thought.

"Do you like it?" she asked him nervously.

"Hn."

She raised her eyebrows from his lack of response and him continuing to eat. She guessed that he didn't like to talk during a meal.

She sighed softly and started to eat her meal and kept her eyes downcast. She heard the clink of his spoon in his bowl and then nothing. She glanced up and saw that he was done eating now just watching her. She looked away and stared down at her half eaten bowl and couldn't find herself to continue to eat.

"Find anything interesting in that conversation you were listening to earlier?" he asked with a sneer.

She quickly looked up at him with a shocked look. He was staring at her intensely and nothing showed on his face how he felt.

Crap, she was busted.


	11. Hot then cold

Thank you all for the reviews! You guys leaving reviews have given me so much motivation and inspiration so please don't stop! I hope you like this chapter, I know I do, it gives me a warm feeling in my belly because I know what will happen and also because of the drama at the end of it.

**Warning:** This chapter contains some -a little- adult content.

Leave me some lovins guys, you motivate me so much!

XO

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><p>Chapter Eleven<p>

"Hot then cold"

The blush on Kagome's cheek burned and made her more and more aware of his staring. She stared down at the soup, not daring to lift her head and stare into his accusing eyes. She could feel his nasty glare on her skin and it set her skin in flames and chills ran along her body.

"I didn't mean to listen in on that conversation. I was cleaning-"She started to explain but only to be cut off by him.

"Oh? I didn't look like to me that you didn't mean to." His voice rumbled and it vibrated through her body.

She fought herself hard just to raise her eyes and look into his golden orbs, she wanted to right him about it but she really couldn't say much. She honestly wasn't cleaning when she stumbled upon their conversation and it didn't help that she stayed and listen to the conversation. She got curious and listened and now she was caught.

"I ask again: Find anything interesting to make what you did worth it?" Sesshomaru's claws came up to the table as he stabilized himself as he pushed himself up from his chair and stood taller than her seated self. All the while he kept his gaze glued right on the nervous girl.

She lifted her chin and watched Sesshomaru. His aura was powerful and just the sight of him standing at his full height added to his power. She looked away from him, her eyes landed on the fireplace. "I tried to do something nice for you, please don't ruin it." She begged softly, trying to change the topic.

She heard his soft footsteps make their way over to her side; his body blocked some lighting and showered over her. She squeezed her eyes shut and grasped tightly onto her leg.

"You are siding with Miroku I see. I think it's well past due to teach you more manners. Respect your master." He hissed, sounding angrier each second.

She turned her head and looked up at his face, and then her eyes went wide.

She didn't have enough time to speak when she was yanked out of her chair by her arm, his other hand flew out and pointed his claws toward the double doors and a large breeze blew them shut. She heard a soft click of the lock, and all the while his eyes never left hers.

He towered over her, making her feel almost claustrophobic; his scent rolled off of him in waves and quickly intoxicated her. He smelt amazing, wild, and very manly. She had never encountered such power and intoxication being near a man. He truly was an alpha male and he made sure she knew it as well. Granted, she had never been as close to a man as she was with Sesshomaru. But when Kouga was near and tried to lean in towards her, he didn't smell as nice as this. Sesshomaru had his own powerful and intoxicating smell that never failed to always intoxicate her.

_Perhaps it's just him that is intoxicating._ Her subconscious snuck in and planted a seed in her mind.

She couldn't possibly be attracted to him and his dominance. The man had no manners himself; he was just as childish and always wanted it his way. He apparently loved taking advantage of her and strived to it. Miroku's words crept into her thoughts,

_He has a temper but it seems you do as well and you can rise above him and make him grovel in want and need for you._

As she does have a temper but she didn't want to know what would happen if she started to yell at him. Her punishment would probably be worse.

He turned them around so he was sitting on her chair and he draped her over his lap, her chest rested against his legs and her bottom as up in the air. She let out a gasp from the indecency and being treated like some child who was about to get spanked. She couldn't believe that her trying to be kind to him had backfired and he was not going to treat her any better than this.

Kagome's eyes widened and she let out a sound as his claws pushed up the bottom part of her dress so it was caught between her stomach and on her back to expose her hidden treasures. He pushed her legs apart just a little and his hand skimmed over her soft plump rear.

"Please, Sesshomaru, don't do this." She begged softly as she held back a cry.

She felt his hand pause on her rump then pulled away. She let out a little breath of relief as she thought he was going to make her leave but quickly his hand met her rear in a loud smack, the force of it pushed her forward just a little. She let out a startled scream and squirmed in his lap.

"What did you call me?" he snarled.

She breathed hard and felt a few tears drop down her cheek. She didn't know what to call him. He had requested her to call her many different things. This morning when he was out of control, he told her to scream his name. She did. Now what was it he wanted to be named?

"I meant Lord Sesshomaru!" she hoped that worked.

His hand retreated and once again it collided with her red cheek. She let out another howl and squirmed more. She grasped onto his thigh and squeezed tightly to hold on.

"I thought I made it clear that I am master, no? Do I need to remind you?" he gave her a few more hard spanks, each time it released more howls from the squirming girl.

Kagome buried her face in his leg and tried to clear her thoughts from the pain, just enough to think. But something was building in her lower regions and the lust was fogging her mind. Was she really getting aroused from this? She felt so much shame and so much embarrassment. She didn't want him to be her master. She would much rather call him Lord than master. Miroku wanted her to give Sesshomaru a chance but he was acting as if he didn't want any sympathy or a chance. She couldn't believe him.

She let out another wail as his open palm met with her tender and already welting cheeks. She bit onto his thigh to muffle her screams, not wanting anyone outside of the room to hear what he was doing to her. Only in return when her blunt teeth bit him, he hissed and she felt his member swell under her belly. He stopped his ministrations, his hand rested on her reddened cheek and she could feel him skimming it softly. She breathed hard and opened her eyes and kept her teeth dug into his thigh. In that split second his whole demeanor changed; his member swelled more and more by the second, surprising her just how large it was growing and his claws scratched gently on her tender buttocks.

"What have you done?" she heard him whisper in a growl, his voice changed and it started to sound more and more like this morning when he was about to deflower her.

She let out a startled moan as she felt one of his long fingers push past her slick folds, rubbed her pearl then rubbed the outside of her slick opening. He then pushed his digit in and hissed as her inner walls grasped onto his finger hungrily.

"This Sesshomaru arouses you, does he not?" that guttural voice. That beast was back.

She whimpered then threw her head back and closed her eyes as his finger once again invaded her body and slowly thrust in and out of her, promising her that in the near future another appendage much larger than his finger will mimic what it was doing. He must have lost control. He had to of lost control. Why else would he be touching her like this? The image of his beastly looks flashed through her mind and her heart started to race.

Was she really aroused form this? Did she enjoy him touching her this way?

The sad answer was: Yes. She loved it when he touched her. She loved it when he gave her these butterflies in her stomach. Lord Sesshomaru out of control and beastly was more passionate and less hurtful than the Lord Sesshomaru who was in control, who would rather spank her or whip her than tease her and make her moan.

How embarrassing.

She was broken out of her muse when she felt herself being lifted then placed on her hands and knees on the table and Sesshomaru's face buried in behind her into her throbbing heat. She let out a moan as his tongue swiped against her folds. She let out another moan as his finger that used to be in her, returned with a partner. He curled his fingers and pressed against her special spot making her shake uncontrollably.

Little growls escaped his mouth as he started to circle his tongue around the bundle of nerves that threw her over the edge. He pulled away as soon as he felt her about to come.

"I have barely even touched you and yet you are about to come for me again today." He growled, sounding very much pleased.

Kagome whined as he pulled away from her and removed his fingers from her, in the end making her feel empty without them.

Her sheath throbbed from the emptiness and from the lack of fulfillment he gave her a taste of this morning. She whimpered from her pain of not being taken over to the other side. She was so close that if he rubbed her in the right spot, or licked her one more time, she was sure to experience the other worldly orgasm he made sure she would have.

She turned her head to look at him, his eyes were pink and his mouth was wet with her own juices. She could clearly see the outline of his hardened member through his tight pants and it only intimidated her. She felt frozen in her place when she just wanted to jump from her spot and pull her dress down to cover herself.

Why didn't she?

He narrowed his eyes at her as she had the pout on her lips. She was hurting from the lack of release and slowly, his lips curved into a mocking smile.

"Welcome to how I feel." His voice was guttural and husky; it sent shivers down her spine. "This Sesshomaru will take you one day and you will severely regret it. Don't bite me again unless you know what you are asking." With that, he turned with a swish then stormed out of the room, leaving the doors adjacent.

She turned away and got down from the table and quickly pushed down her dress. She kept her back to the door and took in shaky breaths.

She stood there in the quiet room and felt herself become more and more outraged. She was mad at herself for not fighting Sesshomaru as he touched her. She hated her time here and hated that Sesshomaru was hot then cold. When she thought she could break through to him, he was pushing her out and trying to dominate her. She made a deal with him that she would be here in place for Souta but he had never said that she had to be some concubine. She never agreed to that.

This place had too many secrets and she couldn't handle how Sesshomaru treated her. She wouldn't mind being his friend but he refused to give HER a chance.

She balled her fists and glared at the fireplace, the fire crackled in its attempt to sooth her while burning the logs. She couldn't be here anymore. She had to leave.

She turned around and quickly walked out of the room, she stormed through the castle, surprised that no one had even passed her or even stopped her to see where she was going. She went to the main door, turned the knob and pulled it open with so much force.

"Kagome! What are you doing! Close the door, there is a storm!" Miroku.

She turned her head and felt tears in her eyes as she looked at him, "I wish you all the best of luck." She then turned back and sprinted outside and left Miroku in the castle who screamed for her not to go.

xXx

Oh this was not good! He would have chased after her but he couldn't leave the castle grounds, not only that it was a blizzard outside.

"Crap! Crap!" he chanted as he ran through the castle attempting to find his master.

What the hell happened that Kagome felt the need to leave the castle in a snow storm? He knew it had to do with Lord Sesshomaru. But he also knew that Lord Sesshomaru had been out of character ever since the girl got here.

"Miroku, what's wrong?" Shippo asked as Miroku flew past him in the hallway.

"Not now, Shippo!" Miroku called back and kept his pace as he ran to Lord Sesshomaru's office. He had to be there. Please Kami let him be there.

The girl will be in danger any minute. She must have forgotten that there are guard demon dogs running around. She met one when she arrived. She will be meeting another one any time. He didn't want the innocent girl to be killed. He had much faith her and he made the statement to Lord Sesshomaru that he was surprised that she hadn't run off yet and that she could make it out of the lands unscratched, but now that it actually happened, he was scared shitless.

He ran into the Lord's office and looked around, no sign of the Lord.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" he groaned then turned out of the office and once again started to run.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" he yelled, he hoped him screaming would get the Lord's attention. He didn't care if he looked like a fool running around screaming for Lord Sesshomaru. The girl who could break the curse and free them all could possibly be dying out there from a dog demon or even the blizzard itself.

Stupid Kagome, couldn't she have just waited until the storm passed? She won't see the dog demons because of the blizzard and it's a perfect cover for them. Oh Kami help her!

xXx

Sesshomaru stood in the darkened room that held the only important object he owned. He starred at the glowing feather that was hovering in the jar all by itself. It sparkled and spun slowly. Just the tip of the feather was looking dull and blackening. So the process had started.

Hn. Perhaps Miroku was right about the girl all along. Never had the feather started to blacken until Kagome arrived.

There was something about her that called out to his beast. It enjoyed taking her and enjoying her innocence. It thrived off of her arousal.

The girl was indeed aroused to Lord Sesshomaru but was he aroused to her? Obviously.

It hurt his pride that he was attracted to a mere mortal woman. He vowed he would never touch nor even look at a human girl, but in came Kagome and out goes his vows.

His cock was still hard from when he touched Kagome and listened to her moaning out, because of him. The pride that she gave him filled in the pride he lost over the hundreds of years for his beastly looks and scaring away potential ruts. Not once had the girl screamed at him. Not once had she mentioned anything of his looks being between man and beast. Instead she blushed around him. The perfume of her lust and arousal for him filled the air around him and tickled his nose.

He hated the thought of being kind to the girl. He never was a gentle being. But the girl had been nothing but kind and gentle with him.

Perhaps he should be ge-

"Lord Sesshomaru!" the faint scream of Miroku broke his thoughts.

He turned his head away from the bright feather and towards the door and listened again as another scream met his ears. He snarled and ran out of the room to see what the cause of this was. He wanted to be alone.


	12. Her hero

You people are scary when you want me to update. ;) Happy to hear that you want more and that you are loving this. Here is the next chapter and excuse any errors you find. I kind of glanced over it just so I can put it up and make you people happy. haha ;)

**Warning:** There is some gore in here. Just a tiny bit.

enjoy and leave some LOVE ;)

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><p>Chapter Twelve<p>

"Her hero"

What the hell was she thinking for running out of there without at least a shawl on! The wind blew right through her and chilled her to the bone. She had forgotten just how horrible it was to travel in the snow. She tripped every couple of feet as she attempted to run through the large amounts of snow that reached to her shin. She glanced to her right and squinted her eyes to see past the blowing snow and spotted an old wooden barn with she hoped heled a horse for her to take. She quickly made the short distance to the destination, every couple of feet she would stumble and catch herself before she fell face first into the deep snow.

The shed door opened with a loud squeak as she stumbled into the safe haven from the unrelenting snow storm. The barn held a couple of horses, some looked old and some were just mere foals. The howl of the wind and an occasional snort from a horse broke the silence. She shivered and walked over to one horse that caught her eye; he was all black and had a beautiful wavy mane. It looked up at her with its light brown eyes and let out a little snort. She grinned and turned around then searched for a saddle as well as blankets for the horse and for herself.

She carefully went into the stall and allowed the stallion to check her out first and smell her hand as she held it up to his nose, letting him know she wasn't here to harm him.

"I'm Kagome." She felt stupid for talking to a horse, but whatever helped soothe the thing, the better.

She carefully put the blanket over the stallion's back then saddled him up. She climbed on him and wrapped the other blanket around her and gave his side a little kick and he started to walk slowly out of the stall, his hooves clicked with each sluggish step he took then it silenced as he stepped out of the bar and into the blowing storm where her hearing went making her not able to hear a thing from the unrelenting wind.

She gave another tap against the stallion's side and he started to pick up and ran through the storm and the high snow that was on the ground. She held onto the reins tightly and squinted her eyes more as she tried to see ahead of her, but sadly all she could see was snow blown into her face, blinding her from everything.

She pulled the blanket closer against her and leaned forward against the black stallion as he kept running further and further away from the castle.

Was Sesshomaru going to chase after her? No he wouldn't. He hadn't left his castle in over hundreds of years because of his curse. She will never know what the curse was and why he had a curse and how she could have broken it. A small part of her felt empty for leaving but a larger portion was happy and thrilled that she could go home and see her family, especially Souta. She had hoped that they would get word when he arrived and if he was doing okay. But no word was sent and she was worried and thinking something horribly had happened.

She felt an eerie feeling that sent chills down her back and her breath hitched. She turned her head to look back at the castle that was quite a distance away but not yet out of the horizon. She was sure that she was close to crossing the border of Sesshomaru's land to freedom. She gasped as she saw something white flash through the snow quickly then disappeared.

Her heart started to pound against her chest and she quickly looked around herself trying to find what it was that she saw.

Nothing.

The wind started to die down and the snow storm was beginning to let up and come down more gently. She let out a breath and watched the white mist leave her lips and coil around in the air then disappear.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

Kagome's eyes were wide and her heart kept pounding against her chest, but the horse kept running and panting hard. She thought she was just seeing things and was nervous of being stopped. Just as soon as she relaxed, her horse squealed as he stopped running. Kagome let out a scream with the horse as she saw the same large dog, just like what she saw when she first came through and the statues everywhere in the palace, stood before them.

The stallion jumped and was on its hind legs and kicked its front hooves in the air, releasing Kagome from its back.

"No!" Kagome screamed as the stallion turned and ran off back toward the castle.

Kagome let out a whimper and looked back at the demon dog, its eyes wide and red and its tongue hung out. It looked like it was grinning at her, like it was saying, _gotcha now_.

Her legs wobbled as she stood up and didn't even compare in height to the dog that stared with its gleaming red eyes. She didn't even wait for it to move, she sprinted to the side and tried to make her way the last bit of the distance out of Sesshomaru's land.

Kagome let out a scream as the dog snarled and its heavy paws pounded behind her in the wild chase. She ran, ducked then kept on running. She could hear its frustrated howl and the pounding getting faster. She let out a scream as she tumbled down from the force of its muzzle, a few fangs scraped against her that drew just enough blood for it to taste and to grow hungrier with its blood rage. She crawled quickly and tried to stand up but she kept losing her balance.

She was dead. She was dog food for sure and there was nothing she could do to stop it and no one to save her.

She turned on her back and faced the dog demon that hovered over her, its mouth opened and its eyes looked even wilder.

She sucked in her last breath and watched as he growled then went in for the kill. She screamed as its hot breath hit her then it was violently pushed to the side by another dog demon. She scrambled back and watched as the much larger dog demon snarled at the one that was about to take her life. Both of them snapped at each other and tumbled around, claws, fangs and all.

Kagome's eyes widened as she saw that the much larger beast had the crescent moon on his forehead. Could it be?

"Sesshomaru." She whispered.

The beasts blazing red eyes glanced over at her and turned his head her way as he had the smaller demon pinned under his mighty paw. He was magnificent looking even as a beast. She couldn't describe the feeling she got as she saw him this way. He had saved her when she thought she was sure to die alone and for that she will forever be in debt to him.

"Sesshomaru!" She screamed as the smaller dog demon squirmed its way out from under Sesshomaru's paw and let out a roar as his fangs clamped down on Sesshomaru's thick neck.

The scream that Sesshomaru let out made Kagome sick to her stomach. She looked around for something to help him, anything, to get the other dog to release him. She saw a large branch and picked it up. It was heavy but not enough to hurt the dog demon, but she would try anyways.

She swung at the dog demon, successfully unlatching it from Sesshomaru's neck. He stumbled but then shook his head and looked at the attacker who backed off just a little. Sesshomaru let out a roar then went in for the kill. His large muzzle opened and clamped on its neck, his fangs buried deep into skin and muscle. He squeezed his jaws and started to crush its neck. The sounds of its bones snapping and crushing made Kagome drop and her eyes wide with fear.

She couldn't look away from the scene but she couldn't move. Her stomach turned and kept reminding her that it couldn't much more. Gurgles came from the dying dog demon and his eyes rolled up to the back of his head then went limp.

Sesshomaru released the limp body of the dog demon and turned its red gaze onto Kagome who was shaken and breathing hard. She looked down at the snow in front of her and tried not to stare at the red spots from the blood that was from Sesshomaru or the other one, or possibly both.

She heard lighter footsteps that made their way to the shaken girl. Sesshomaru's white pant legs and black boots came into her line of vision. She felt like she was going to cry and then be sick. She looked up with tears in her eyes and saw his mangled neck and him trying to mask his pain. But he stared at her with his amber eyes and had something hidden in their depths. What was it she saw in his eyes? Worry? Apologetic? Love? Well it better be apologetic because when he heals, she is going to give him a pretty hard time.

He held his hand out for her to take and it took her a few silent seconds to decide if she should take it or not.

He saved her life, there was good in him after all.

She took his hand, his warmed hers automatically and he pulled her up on her feet. Without a word from both of them, he scooped her up in his arms and started to run like the wind through the long valley back to his castle.

It wasn't a very long trip at all, one second they were close to the border and the next he was sweeping her into the castle. She squirmed out of his arms as he started to sway but then try to steady himself.

"You're injured." She pointed out, feeling like a fool for pointing it out.

Kagome got to her feet and whipped around to look at him, he had sweat over his face and his neck was slowly healing but not fast enough. She went into full panic mode and grabbed onto his arm and tugged him into the closest room. The room was huge, which didn't surprise Kagome anymore, there were chairs and couches and a fireplace had already been lit, as if it had expected a visitor. She didn't waste time looking around the room and made him sit down in one of the single couches.

"Stay here and don't you dare move." She warned.

Sesshomaru's amber eyes drifted up to her face and even through his pain, he quirked an eyebrow. He nodded once and still watched her.

Kagome turned and left the room in a hurry and ran to the kitchen. She grabbed a large bowl and filled it with hot water. She grabbed a rag and threw it into the water and then started to look around for something to stitch him up.

"Kagome, thank God you are back." Miroku's voice broke her out her task.

She looked over at him who looked out of breath and his hands were shaking. "Miroku, where do you keep the needle and thread?"

His eyebrows rose and he tilted his head, he eyed her for a moment then turned and walked over to an altar. The sounds of things being moved broke the silence and it quickly started to make her impatient. She didn't want Sesshomaru to die and she certainly didn't want him to hurt.

Her eyes widen and she turned away and looked around the kitchen for special herbs to make a tea concoction for Sesshomaru so he wasn't in pain. She filled a tea pot with water then placed certain herbs in along with just a little tea, she then she placed the kettle over the fire.

"Kagome is everything okay?" Miroku's voice once again broke her concentration.

She turned and looked at him and started to feel the tears that she was holding back slip. She rubbed at her face and took a few gasping breaths, "I hope so." She answered.

"Oh no, what happened?" his face started to fall and his hands that were holding out the needle and thread, started to slowly go back down.

She shook her head then reached out and took the needle and thread. "When the tea is ready, please bring it into the, I am assuming living room." She grabbed onto the bowl of water and dashed out of the kitchen and back into the room where Sesshomaru had waited for her.

She set the bowl down along with the needle and thread and stared into his eyes. "I'm going to have to undress you." She whispered nervously.

He looked back at her and raised his eyebrow once again, but he made no move to stop her in anyway.

Her hand shakily reached out and she unbuttoned his blouse, little by little it revealed his perfect skin. She bit her bottom lip as she opened the shirt up and gently pushed it off his shoulders and then onto the ground. She grabbed onto the rag and squeezed out any excess water and gently placed it on his neck.

He let out a growl that made her jump and pull away. She watched him as he glared at her, his claws already dug into the arms of the couch.

"Now stop it you! Let me help you." She said sternly and placed the rag back against his neck. She put a little pressure on it to make the bleeding stop; all the while it released growls and hisses from Sesshomaru.

She bit her bottom lip once again and stared into his narrowed eyes.

"It hurts!" he let out a yell.

Her eyes widened and quickly they narrowed, "That's what happens when you try to save a girl who just wants to leave."

He hissed, the sound of his claws embedding themselves into the arms of the chair could be heard between them. "You would have died!" he roared.

Her face softened and she looked down at his chest. "I know." She whispered. She looked back up at his face and blushed, "Thank you for saving my life." She whispered.

His eyes widened and for the first time, she got to see him raw. He didn't mask anything. He let out a gasp and his face looked pained, shocked, relieved and something else. She smiled at him and looked back at the once white rag that was now red. She released it from his neck and dropped it into the bowl.

"Your tea, my Lord." Miroku called as he came through the doors and carried a tray with two cups and the kettle in the middle. He let out a gasp as he spotted the damage on Sesshomaru's neck.

"Thank you Miroku." Kagome went over and grabbed onto the tray before he dropped it from his shock. "Could you be so kind and fetch another rag?" she turned away from him and set the tray down on the small table next to Sesshomaru. She poured some tea into a cup and handed it to him.

"Drink. It will help your pain." She whispered.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the cup and looked up into Kagome's blue eyes, "This Sesshomaru does not need medicine." He growled.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and plopped herself on his lap. "Fine, I will just make you." She warned. His lips went into a straight line as he clamped his mouth shut.

How childish can he be? He is obviously in pain and she only wanted to help sooth him. So be it, she will play dirty. She turned herself so she was straddled on him and started to slowly grind herself against him. She knew this wasn't the time or place to be doing this to him but he needed medicine and she was willing to do anything just to get him to drink his damn medicine.

His eyes had widened and his nostrils flared but his lips were still in the deep set line. Kagome put the cup down for only a minute and leaned into him and gave him soft gentle kisses on his lips until he started to slowly melt against her. His claws grasped onto her hips and pushed her harder against him making her aware of his growing erection. She ran her tongue along his lips and blushed. He was hurt to hell and he has a hard one for her? She shook her head and continued to plant soft kisses against his now willing lips.

Sesshomaru let out a gasp and his mouth opened and automatically their tongues started to duel. It seemed like her plan was working and for that she was proud of herself. She grabbed onto the cup while still kissing him then she quickly pulled away and poured the contents into his mouth and down his throat.

He coughed a few times then glared at her.

"I warned you." She said as she got off his lap and inspected his neck.

Miroku came in at the right time and handed her another rag. She dipped it into the now warm water and squeezed it then placed it back against Sesshomaru's neck.

"My Lord, is there anything else you require?" Miroku bowed.

"Ask the girl; apparently she is in charge now." He growled lowly.

Kagome shook her head to Miroku's question, "We are fine. But stay close so I can find you if I should need you." She answered, ignoring Sesshomaru's snarky comment.

"My lady." Miroku said in all seriousness.

Kagome's eyes widened and she turned her head to look at Miroku who had bowed to her, stood back up and smirked at her then left. She looked down at Sesshomaru who had his eyes closed and his breathing started to even.

"Is it kicking in?" she asked him softly.

"Hn."

She smiled and grabbed onto the needle and thread, she then removed the rag from his wounded neck and started to work on stitching him back together.


	13. Changing

Thank you all for leaving me such wonderful reviews! I know that as of lately I have been doing a lot of cliffhangers and for that I'm deeply sorry. This one doesn't have much of a cliffy and leaves you feeling nice and warm. tehe. But since I have updated The Beast a lot, I am going to start back up on my other story, Brothers Bliss, since it's only ten chapters long and I have it all planned out. ;)

Leave me comments about what you would like to see in the future of this story, I like reading some ideas you have and taking it and running with it. You all have been so dedicated and for that I'm grateful. :)

Onward with the story:

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><p>Chapter Thirteen<p>

"Changing"

Not being able to understand what his emotions were, the Lord paced his most favored room: his study. He brought up a clawed hand and brushed it gently through his silver hair then let it drop to graze gently over the patch on his neck. He knew he was almost fully healed but the girl insisted that he kept it covered until it was healed to her human standards.

He let out a scoff as he thought of her actions from the incident two days ago. He found Miroku out of breath and tried to explain that Kagome had left. He didn't let the poor servant finish as he ran out of the castle. He knew she was in danger; the air was filled with the smell of a hunt. The thrill, the excitement and the blood thirst had filled his nostrils and his lungs. He didn't waste time and had changed into his beast form and saved the girl. She was so pale when he approached her in back in his half human half beastly form. But he never smelt fear when he approached her, she had smelled of relief and just a little of irritation.

It was unexpected of her to take charge as they reached back to his castle. She had taken care of him and that took him off guard. She tried to clean his raw wound with an old rag that scraped against it and made him admit to his pain. But she never cooed him nor treated him differently by much. She was only irritated and fixed on helping him. It had given him such an odd feeling in his chest and stomach and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

And oh Kami, when she straddled him and made moves on this Sesshomaru, he was thrown way off. He couldn't help but to respond to her gentle kisses and made her aware of his growing need of her. He and his beast had purred at that delicious moment; his inner beast thought that she was rewarding him for them saving her. But in the end she was only teasing him and numbed him from the pain with her tea, and for that he was also grateful. He knew he was slowly giving into her and he was becoming more and more okay with it. But he wasn't fully ready to accept that he was starting to grow fond of this little human girl. He was shocked of himself for being in control when she seduced him although his beast was on the sidelines, urging him on but stayed far back enough to let him decide how he reacted.

A tiny smile graced the Lord's lips as he thought his beastly side was starting to become a bad influence.

Two days had passed and the girl was sick, Miroku claiming it was because of her being out in the cold without proper attire. Sesshomaru thought it was something larger, that she was going to die. He really thought he was going to lose the girl and he thanked all the stars for her not reaching the border or else he wouldn't have helped her. That beast would have followed her and killed her. He was relieved that he made it to her on time. Her reaction to him being in his full beast form had shocked him the most. Not once had she screamed when she saw him but she had rather called his name. When he turned his head to look at the scared girl, her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding but her scent came off of her and she was happy and very relieved. Just this once and never again will he think this: The girl was too good for this Sesshomaru.

He had stopped pacing the room and stood in the middle staring into nothingness as his thoughts echoed in his head. The girl was too good for this Sesshomaru. His lips formed a sad smile and he hung his head down and stared at the wooden floors. She was kind, loving, excepting and innocent. He would corrupt her one day and he didn't want that for her.

_She is perfect for us,_ his beast spoke in.

He lifted his head and stared at the wall and listened to each tick of the clock that was the only sound that broke the silence. He stood there for a while and eventually started to walk out of the room, made his way up the long staircase then to Kagome's wing. He stood outside of her door for a split second then quietly opened it. He saw the dark haired beauty lying on the bed under the numerous amounts of blankets; only her dark hair could be seen.

He approached the bed and looked down at the sleeping beauty and felt something odd flip in his stomach and his heart started to pound just a little. What were these feelings that were overcoming him? His beast stirred more and longed to touch her. He sat down on the end of the bed and smoothed a blanket that was over her and watched her sleep.

After almost losing her, he knew he didn't want to risk losing her again. The aura of the castle had changed when she arrived and the people that lived in it had changed as well. Slowly, he himself was changing as well.

xXx

Kagome's eyes opened slowly and knew automatically that she felt much better. She sat up and stretched her limbs, testing them to see just how limp and sore they were from her sickness. She groaned as a few joints popped then settled. She looked over to her window and saw that it must be mid-morning. The sun was rising and there was no snow falling, but from the lighting of outside, snow was still on the ground. She looked around her room and took notice that her fireplace was lit and new logs were set the side to keep the fire going.

Someone had been looking after her.

A blush rose up from her neck then to her cheeks and ears at the thought of someone taking care of her. She had always been the one to take care of others, so it was new that she was the one being taken care of. She pushed the blankets to the side and scooted off the bed and made her way around the room. She gathered a dress and went into the bathing room and set it down. She undressed from her chemise and saw that a hot bath had already been prepared for her. She stepped into it and groaned as the water lapped at her soft skin.

She remembered that she had taken care of Sesshomaru and stitched his neck then bandaged it. He looked exhausted and had the help of Miroku to bring him to his wing and into his chambers for him to rest. When she left the room she went back to clean the area they were at before and started to sway. Miroku had scolded her for leaving without much protection in the cold and took her to her room and made her lay down. She remembered falling asleep and occasionally waking up feeling worse and sweaty. She remembered seeing a new face, an older woman with an eye patch in her room and she was taking her temperature. The woman would look over her shoulder and say something but Kagome was too out of it to make out what she was saying. Quickly she fell back asleep.

While in her state, she did remember feeling Sesshomaru's presence, although he never spoke. But she knew he was there with her most of the time and the pressure of someone stroking her blankets could be felt. A warm would occasionally touch her forehead and the zap of electricity would go between her head and the hand. It had to of been Sesshomaru since he was the only one to make her feel that way.

She got out of the bathtub when she was finished cleansing herself, she then wrapped a soft towel around herself and dried off. She dressed for the day and fought with the top to prevent her breasts from being pushed up so much, but as before, she gave up when it didn't give in. She went back into the bedroom and slipped on some comfortable brown slips then left the room and made her way down to the kitchen.

"Ah, Kagome, just in time for breakfast. How are you feeling?" Miroku asked as he balanced a tray of food on his hand.

She smiled gently at him, "Much better thank you. Sorry for worrying you."

He winked at her and headed to the dining room. "You did worry us for a minute but Kaede said you will be fine. Kaede is our healer." They both walked into the dining room as he explained.

Kagome held her breath when she saw Sesshomaru already seated at the table waiting for his breakfast. He looked over at her with his amber eyes and locked onto her blue ones.

"Lord Sesshomaru." She greeted softly.

He stood up slowly and made his way toward her; he never allowed his eyes to break contact with hers. Miroku walked away from her and went to the table and set up the food and left the room. It felt like a long time before Sesshomaru finally approached her, he reached up and ran his claws gently through her wet hair.

"Are you feeling better?" he whispered. Even if he spoke softly, it sent chills right down her back and raised goose pimples along her arms and neck.

She nodded gently and smiled up at him, "I should be asking you the same." She looked away from his eyes then down his neck and saw he still had the bandage on. She smiled and reached forward and started to gently remove it.

No blood, no stiches and no scaring.

Her eyes widened and she looked back up to his face then back down to where the stiches once used to be.

"H-how?" she mumbled.

Sesshomaru's claw reached up and grabbed onto her hand gently and pulled it to his lips and he softly planted a kiss. Her eyes widened at his changed behavior and didn't know if she was dreaming or not. She blushed and watched as his soft lips pulled away from her hand and he gently led her to the table.

"Sit." He softly commanded.

There is the Sesshomaru she knew very well.

She took her seat and sat down and watched as he walked away then sat back in his place and he stared at her and she just stared right back, but only in shock.

He tilted his head to the side just a fraction and he raised an eyebrow, "Why are you staring at me like I have grown horns?" he questioned, sounding just a little irritated.

She smiled and shook her head, so he was trying to be sweet to her but he wasn't all too comfortable with it. "Just be yourself, my Lord." She looked down at the table that was full of food and she started to place different things on her plate.

Miroku entered the room once again but had tea on his tray. He set a cup down in front of Kagome then in front of Sesshomaru and he filled them with the special blended tea. "I remembered you like this tea." Miroku said to her softly.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you. In our small town we don't get anything as great as this." She lifted the tea cup and took a sip and smiled as the flavor overtook her tongue. It was sweet and very relaxing. It had some cinnamon in it that made her want to puddle on the ground.

"We have received this tea from the far west, across the ocean. What kind of tea do you all have in your town?" Miroku asked, ignoring Sesshomaru's steady glare of him hanging around.

Kagome took another sip and glanced at Sesshomaru then back at Miroku, she smiled and shrugged, "Pretty standard really. Not much flavor unless you add your own herbs or spices to it. We don't have much of a luxury there than what you have here." She explained softly.

"What all does your small town need?" Sesshomaru's voice broke through, his voice deep but at the same time very soft.

Both Kagome and Miroku looked at him with their eyebrows raised. He stared back at only her and waited for her answer. She set down her cup and cleared her throat, "I-I'm not sure now that I'm put on the spot about it." She stuttered.

Sesshomaru's claw came up to his face and he leaned on his hand and his elbow rested against the table, the look telling her he wasn't going to change the subject and was waiting for her answer.

She looked down and played with her fingers nervously and shook her head, "We have very little food, especially during the winter time. We have crops but sometimes they die out. We have no healer of our own in our town, which is why my brother Souta had left on his travel to the next town to get medicines for my grandpa. On his way back that's when he was-"she stopped and cleared her throat. "We live on so very little but yet we are comfortable." She smiled and looked back up at Sesshomaru who was still watching her.

"Miroku, tell some of my men to gather food, clothing and anything else that town might need and send them to Kagome's town to help them." Sesshomaru ordered, not breaking eye contact with Kagome.

She gasped and looked at Miroku then at Sesshomaru and shook her head, "No, you don't have to do this." She waved her hands.

Sesshomaru removed his hand from his face and a tiny smile graced his lips, "I don't have to but I will. Go, Miroku."

Miroku bowed to Lord Sesshomaru then turned to Kagome and he smirked then winked, "My lady." He finished then left.

She blushed and watched as Miroku left the room, "Why is he calling me that?" she asked aloud.

Sesshomaru didn't answer her question and he started to eat his food. Kagome looked down at her plate and felt her stomach turn from her nerves. She couldn't believe that Sesshomaru had ordered for his men to go out there and help her town. She blushed more and picked at her food then started to slowly eat her cold food.

"Thank you." She whispered to him.


	14. Gifts

Thank you all for the reviews! Sorry for the little wait but a lot of problems were happening here at home that made me just not want to write. But here is a gift of a small baby lime for your patience. Enjoy!

Leave some love!

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><p>Chapter Fourteen<p>

Gifts

Little things that Sesshomaru had done over the next couple of days have not gone unnoticed by Kagome or anyone in the palace for that matter. The way he would hold himself back from getting impatient with her or the way he would kiss her hand every time they would meet, it had never gone past her.

Kagome stood in a large study room, not the one she had first Sesshomaru in. She in front of the large windows that were framed by large burgundy draperies and watched the snow gently fall from the sky to the snow coated ground. It was getting close to the evening and the sun was making its way west, creating the sky to look purple, pink and yellow through the bits of clouds. She wondered if her brother Souta was okay and how her grandpa was holding up. She missed them and still wished that she could go back and see them, even if just for a day.

Perhaps if she brought up her concern to Sesshomaru, who had been very lenient with her as of lately, she could see her family and friends and ease her worries. She hadn't been able to sleep well, due to her concern and could still see her brother perfectly in her memories of how terrible he had looked when she had arrived at the castle. His cries echoed through her and shook her to the bone and squeezed her heart tight into its clutches.

"Oh Souta." She murmured with a shaky voice.

"He is on your mind often, isn't he?"

Kagome stiffened and turned her head to see Miroku standing a few feet behind her, his hands clasped together in front of him and a small sad smile played on his lips.

She relaxed and looked back out the windows and nodded her head once. "If only I could see him and make sure he is okay, I think I wouldn't worry so much." She whispered as she placed a hand on the cold window.

"Perhaps the Lord will allow you to do that if you only just ask him." Miroku said back just as softly, his voice coming closer. He then stood next to her and stared out the window with her, both searching for something unknown to each other.

She glanced over at him then back out at the scenery. She let out a sigh and shook her head gently, her hair gently swaying and brushing against part of her bare back from the way her dress was made, "I doubt he would allow me to leave just to see him."

Miroku's body turned to face Kagome and waited until she turned her head to look at him.

"Kagome, he has been changing. You and I both know that and you notice how he had been acting towards you. Ever since he, well we, thought you were gone for good, he hasn't been able to keep away from you."

Kagome's delicate eyebrow arched, "He has been giving me plenty of space though too."

A smirk appeared on Miroku's lips, "Oh really? The Lord is sneakier than you think. If I do say so myself, but he is a very selfish man. What's his is his. You are his." He cleared his throat and glanced to the side then back at her, "He is a fierce protector and very loyal at that." He chuckled softly and covered his mouth with a fist as he attempted to suppress more chuckles, like he knew a joke or something hidden behind his meaning.

Kagome's eyebrow stayed arched and she turned her head slowly to the side where his eyes would glance over. There in the doorway stood the large frame of Sesshomaru and his amber eyes were watching her. She blushed and tilted her head down and looked away from him and cleared her throat softly. "I see." She whispered.

With a bow, Miroku excused himself and left the room. Kagome turned back to the window and watched outside as the sun started to disappear in the horizon. She didn't hear Sesshomaru's footsteps, butt his clawed hand gently came to her shoulder and his body was mere inches away from hers.

"Something troubles you?"

That voice she will never get used to. It sent chills all the way her body and created butterflies to flap around and hit against the walls of her stomach. She turned her head just a fraction to look at him over her shoulder from the corner of her eye then she looked back out the window and let out a sigh.

"I will be okay." Damn her for wanting to keep the peace they have. She didn't want to mention her wanting to see her family and possibly him being angered. It all seemed to be going so well so far.

"Hn."

Her lips lifted a little into a small smile from his response, or there lack of. She was starting to slowly understand him from watching him or just listening to his voice. He puts on a very well mask to hide a lot of how he felt, but his voice couldn't be so easily hidden. She knew he didn't believe her but he was as well trying to keep the peace between them. It was only a thin thread that it was hanging onto and anything could make it snap and break apart.

"I have something to show you." He said softly and gently pulled her away from the window.

She followed his lead and reached for his large clawed hand and held onto it. A smile spread across her face as he gently squeezed her hand and his amber eyes glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. She willingly followed him and leaned more into him, grateful that he allowed her to be so close to him.

He led her through the first floor and all the way to the back of the large castle until they reached a small little area that looked to be a shack of some sort. He reached the knob of the worn wooden door and gently opened it, mist and smoke hit them both and filled the tiny room.

"What is this?" she asked, already she felt impatient.

She could have sworn she heard a soft chuckle emit from him. But it could just be all the different sounds she heard as they stepped through the door. The smoke cleared and presented a hot springs. It looked like he had built a safe wooden fencing around the hot springs along with a ceiling to protect from the weather. But there were enough cracks between the wood to expose the nature on the outside to keep the hot springs looking almost magical and natural. The ground was covered with smooth stones as well as vibrant green grass.

The spring was large enough to fit a couple of people comfortably. In the back was steady waterfall that tumbled down rocks and into the hot spring. Green plants surrounded it along with many different vibrant flowers, some looked familiar.

"Is that the moon flower?" she whispered and released his hand as she gently made her way over to the flowers.

"It is."

"It is beautiful." She whispered and looked up at the ceiling, large cracks exposed the moonlight and some snow fell around them and melted before it hit the ground.

The hot springs created the place to feel warm and comforting. She giggled excitedly and felt some emotion bubble up in her chest. She looked over at Sesshomaru who watched her with careful eyes.

"I love it." She whispered and held her hands out to beckon him to come closer.

He took a careful step forward then another until he stood a few inches away from her. She looked up at his face and smiled. "Thank you." She reached up slowly and cupped his cheeks in her hands and gently pulled his face down to plant a soft innocent kiss on his lips.

Quickly, she pulled away and looked at him with a blush that rose to her cheeks. "Can we get in the hot springs now?"

"If that is what you wish." He whispered and took a couple steps back.

She grinned and turned around so her back was faced to him. "Could you help?" she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled innocently.

He stood there as he watched her, his amber eyes glowed as he watched her in the near darkness. The moonlight shone through his eyes and it sent more butterflies fluttering in her stomach. He released a silent breath and approached her once again and started to undo her dress.

She held up the front side and looked back at the springs and grinned. When she felt her dress sag and his claws grazed over her bare skin, she let her dress slip down to her feet. She took in a steady breath and stepped into the hot water and let out a tiny groan as it lapped around her body.

She turned to face him and saw that he was already nude and his member was pulsing with blood and very hard, not afraid to show her his arousal for her. She sucked in some air and felt her face turn red with her blush.

He slowly stepped into the water and made it look so much better and almost sinful. His muscles moved fluidly with his movements that made it look so tranquil but very strong. She was quite envious of the water that licked at his perfectly tight skin and it made her feel naughty for having thought that.

She smiled shyly and turned away from him and tried to focus on something different to get her mind off of his body. It didn't help that he came up behind her and pressed his body against her supple one. It didn't help that he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her closer against him. It certainly did not help her that she could feel his strong need for her pulsing against her lower back.

She shakily sucked in some air and leaned her head back against his chest. Her eyes closed and she breathed through her nose as she tried to calm herself.

"Tell me," she whispered as she tried to form words, "will you tell me about this curse?" she whispered nervously.

He stiffened against her and his hold went tighter around her, "What is there to tell?" he said carefully.

She kept her eyes shut and she kept focused on her breathing, "How did it begin?"

He turned her quickly in his arms that made her eyes quickly flutter open. She saw his jaw tick and his nostrils flared. She pushed it and she knew it. But he didn't yell at her nor did he say anything demeaning. He pulled her up against him more and lifted her so her lips were crushed by his.

Everything seemed to melt away from her; her body went limp and her arms wrapped around his neck tightly. More and more she grew hungrier for his kisses and just a small kiss that she would give him soon did not become enough for her. He had definitely put her under his own spell and she felt empty when she wasn't touched by him.

She felt his tongue run over her lip gently, coaxing to let be let in. She willingly opened her mouth and met his tongue half with her own. She mimicked his tongue movements but all too quickly he dominated over hers and tipped her back just a little to expose her throat. He pulled away from her lips and trailed his lips down her jaw to her throat with open mouthed kisses.

Her body was on fire and she felt like there was nothing to do to take the flames out. She lifted her legs so they were wrapped around his waist and let out a little gasp when she felt his throbbing member pressed snuggly between her wet lips He released a groan and one hand was automatically behind her hand, tangling his claws in her hair, while the other hand snaked down lower to her hips and pressed her more against his burning desire.

Kagome opened her eyes a little to look up at the ceiling and watched the full moon's light beam down on them. Her body trembled against Sesshomaru's and she released a soft mewl when he nipped a part on her neck.

"Tell me what bothered you inside." Sesshomaru's voice was husky and deeper than normal.

Her mouth was so dry from her breathing but she felt it was worth it. She slowly and nervously licked her bottom lip and let out a soft moan when he started to grind gently against her, his phallus rubbed against her pearl, it created friction and so much pleasure. Her head went limp but thankfully for his hand supporting the back of her head, she didn't limp too much.

"I don't want to-" she nervously cut herself off and took a shaky breath.

"This Sesshomaru will take care of your needs. Tell me."

So this is just a little game for him. Get Kagome filled with lust and out of her mind and then tell her to tell him what had bothered her. Well it was well played, but she couldn't even begin to think what had bothered her before. She opened her mouth and a soft moan spilled out as he kissed his way up to her ear and gently nibbled on her ear lobe, his tongue swiping gently each time he nipped a little too hard.

"Don't make me ask again." He warned softly, his arm squeezed more around her waist and pulled her closer to his grinding hips.

She let out soft pants and buried her greedy hands in his soft white hair. His hair was already heavy from the weight of half of it being in the water and pulling down. She turned her head to greet his lips with hers, but he growled softly in warning and bit gently on her neck. She let mewled then arched her body more against his.

"I was upset, because…" she let out heavy pants then moaned, "I miss my family. I want to see them just to ease my concern. I was worried to ask you to let me see them for a day." She whispered nervously and out of breath.

He paused in his actions and slowly he pulled her away and set her back on her feet in the water. The water lapped at her sensitive nipples but she didn't pay any attention to it, she looked up at Sesshomaru's face and chewed on her bottom lip.

"You wish to see your family for just a day?" His voice was still husky but he sounded so lost.

She nodded and took a gentle step towards him so her body was pressed against his, "I haven't been able to sleep because of my worry for my sick brother and sick grandpa."

"I will not be able to travel with you and protect you." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You cannot leave the castle grounds. You can protect me through your lands until I reach the border. I will be fine after that." She felt like there was some hope, that he was going to allow her to see her family.

His claws went onto her hips and squeezed a little too hard. But she knew he must have been nervous about all this. She licked her lips nervously and stared into his glowing amber eyes.

"I do not have an answer, if that is what you wish right now. Give me a few days to work something out." He backed away from her and she figured that he was more than likely retreating.

She quickly followed and stopped him before he was able to climb out of the water. She stood on her toes and reached for his lips; thankfully he helped her and lifted her gently so she could plant a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Thank you anyways for listening." She whispered against his soft lips.

He only stared down at her and his golden eyes only sent chills through her but it was comforting. She smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned back in and kissed him once more. She wanted to start the carnal kissing this time, she constantly yearned for him and it comforted her but yet scared her. Her arms snaked around his neck and pressed her sensitive body against his rough but very smooth one.

He was tense for only a moment but he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist and responded so well to her with his own lips. She didn't give much of a fight to him with her tongue as he easily took control. She let out a moan when his kisses went back on their journey down her neck and continued down until his hot mouth was on a nipple. She didn't notice when he had tipped her back but he had, but she didn't mind at all. She moaned when his mouth covered her nipple and he started to suck gently as well as nip.

"Sesshomaru." She gasped out and buried her hands in his hair once more.

His body went tense and he shook just a little as she moaned his name. She blushed as she realized that she didn't know what he wanted her to call him. His head lifted and her nipple came out of his mouth with a pop. His eyes burned hers and his hold on her tightened. She was sure he would snap and tell her to call him something different.

"Say my name again." He whispered, his eyes were hooded with his desire and his breathing was a little hard.

She stared into his eyes that showed her so much how he felt at the moment, "Sesshomaru." She whispered.

Slowly he leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips, his free hand covered her breast that didn't get any attention from his mouth and his fingers started to play with her nipple. "In our privacy, you may scream, call, or speak my name. But around others, it will be Lord Sesshomaru." He whispered against her lips. "I like the idea more of you screaming my name."

Kagome blushed and breathed hard against his lips as he continued his ministrations with her nipple. His hot breath fanned across her face as he watched her squirm in his arms.

"My Lord, I apologize to interrupt, but we have word on the men." Miroku's voice broke them apart and Kagome quickly hid her body in the water and her whole body felt crimson.

Sesshomaru still stood, the water lapped at his tight muscles of his abdomen, his head turned towards Miroku who stood in the doorway.

"Hn. On my way."

Miroku bowed then retreated, again leaving Sesshomaru alone with her.

He looked back at Kagome and a tiny smile graced his lips, "I must go. Do you wish to have a late meal?"

She stared at him and blinked a couple of times then nodded, "yes." She said softly.

"I will come to you when I am done." He then turned and got out of the hot springs. Quickly he gathered his clothes and left the room.

Kagome let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and leaned her head back so her head got wet. She stared up at the moon and a wide smile spread across her face.


	15. This isn't goodbye

I'm so pleased with how many reviews I have gotten from you guys. I already knew what should be in this chapter and I know the chapters are not that long but I like to drag it out a little bit, so here is another update today. A warning for this one though, it made me a bit sad (don't know if it's because I listened to the twilight sountrack with it) but I just thought you should know before you read it. I hope I didn't rush too much on Sesshomaru's feelings but because of the beauty and beast aspect, I had to kind of quicken it just a bit. I tried to make it a bit like Sesshomaru but if it's not then I have failed. :( It was also pointed out that it might be easier to read in double spaced format so until I can figure this out and make it look good and not all funky like it has been doing, I will fix them up. :)

Leave some love and tell me if you guys got sad too on this one. Just want to make sure I'm not just crazy and emotional today.

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><p>Chapter Fifteen<p>

This isn't goodbye

Pacing the kitchen seemed like a horrible decision for Kagome. She kept glancing at the wooden clock that was sitting on a shelf; its tick would break the silence and make her nerves feel more on edge. She chewed on her lower lip and glanced once more at the clock and let out a huff. She couldn't be sure how long she had been waiting for Sesshomaru, but she knew it had been a while. He really did mean it when he mentioned a late meal but it was past midnight and didn't figure that he meant this late. She glanced at the doorway to leave the kitchen then she looked back in front of her as she paced.

She grew tired of waiting and decided to find him on her own accord. Perhaps he forgot about her and retired for the night or he possibly couldn't find her since she was in the kitchen and not in her chambers. She left the kitchen and silently made her way through the dark to find Sesshomaru's study room, where she was sure he met his men at for whatever the reasons were.

As she approached the door she saw light coming through the crack of the door and she could hear the booming voices of men. She remembered last time when she eavesdropped on a conversation and him not being all too happy about it. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to give him the privacy he wanted; she didn't want to risk him getting upset with her.

"The girl's grandfather isn't doing much better; in fact he has been getting worse."

That caught her attention. She stopped and her body tensed up, her heart raced against her chest and her mouth went dry. She turned her head to look back at the door and contemplated to run in and know what was going on.

"And the boy?" Sesshomaru's voice was soft; she almost couldn't hear what he had said.

She moved closer to the door and placed a hand up to her mouth, taking notice that her hand was trembling.

"Healing but still looks horrible. Our healer Kaede is there with them, her hands are full, my Lord. We don't know if the old man will survive."

Kagome bent down and allowed her hair to cascade into a wall around her. She gagged and pressed her still trembling hand more against her mouth. Tears she didn't know were there started to fall from her face and hit the ground. She sucked back some air shakily and dropped to her knees.

"I have to go." She whispered but she knew Sesshomaru heard her. She was pretty sure he knew she was outside the door.

The room went quiet and soft footsteps made their way through the room then out to her. Strong hands were on her shoulders then Sesshomaru's perfect face was level with hers.

"It's not safe for you to travel." He said softly.

She sucked back a sob and looked up at him slowly and sniffled, "I don't care. That's my family. I have to see them." She was close to hysteria and it embarrassed her that he saw her this way. She grabbed onto his chest and squeezed on his shirt. "You have to let me go! Please!" she begged with a sob that broke loose.

The look that passed over his face shocked her and made her feel guilty. He looked pained and a little scared that only made her more hysterical. "Kagome." He whispered.

"I will return. I promise I will. But let me see my grandpa and brother. Oh my mother must be so scared right now, she needs me as well. Please Sesshomaru, I am begging you. I will say my goodbyes and return." She sobbed out as she shook him.

Sesshomaru's claws grabbed onto her hands and he lifted them up to his lips, his golden eyes softened and showed her his pain and him being torn apart from this. He pressed his lips against her trembling hands then he let them go. "I will take you to the border but after that, I cannot follow."

Kagome nodded quickly and sucked back sobs but they still spilled out of her. He pulled her up to her feet then quickly led her up the winding staircase to her bedroom.

"Grab something warm to wear." He ordered.

She quickly went to her closet and grabbed something warm to wear and replaced her slippers with her boots she had worn when she first arrived. She followed him as he led her back down to the main level then outside into the cold night.

He picked her up and ran at his full speed to the shed, successfully making her dizzy and out of breath. She truly did not know just how powerful and fast Sesshomaru was. She only heard the stories of the most feared warlord, but after having met him and got to know him, she couldn't find to acknowledge him as the monster people had made him to be.

"You will take my strongest stallion." His voice broke her thoughts and she realized that she stood outside of a stall as he prepared a smoky grey horse she didn't see last time she was in there.

In record time, he had the horse prepared and out of the stall. He climbed on the horse and adjusted then he leaned down and picked her up with ease and placed her snuggly in front him. He kicked the sides of the stallion with his feet and they took off outside in the cold night.

She was thankful that there wasn't a blizzard this time as she traveled. But she was saddened that it was night and it would be hard to see, as well as the fact that it will be even colder with the lack of sun to help warm her just a little.

The stallion wasted no time as it ran at its full ability and jumped over whatever objects were in its path. The icy wind blew at her face and filled her nostrils with the cold. Her hair whipped back behind her and more than likely in Sesshomaru's face. She held onto Sesshomaru's thighs to keep herself stable as the horse's movements could knock her off. Sesshomaru's arms around her tightened and pulled her closer against his chest.

A howl could be heard over the rushing wind that made Kagome's heart sink into her stomach. She quickly looked to the side and looked for the dog demon.

"I'm here, they cannot harm you." Sesshomaru's voice boomed over the hoof beats.

She looked to her left and saw a snow white dog demon just a little smaller than Sesshomaru in his beastly form. It ran a couple hundred feet away from them but kept pace with them.

"Will you be okay?" she gulped and almost didn't notice her nails were dug into his thighs.

"Do not worry over me."

She nodded once and watched the fluid movements of the dog demon as it ran. Its muscles tightened then loosened with each step it would make in its run. It would occasionally glance over at her then look back ahead to prevent running into something.

They made it into trees and slowly the horse slowed then stopped. She turned her head to look at Sesshomaru who looked down at her with pleading eyes. Her lower lip pouted out and trembled. She felt torn for him, she didn't want to leave him here but she had to see her family.

He opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut. He leaned down and kissed her hungrily; he dropped the reins then squeezed her closer to him and his hands skimmed over her body. She knew he was memorizing her until they see each other again. She returned the kiss and their tongues dueled with each other, without fail, his won.

She let out a soft moan when his claw skimmed over her breasts then up to her throat and cupped her jaw. All too quickly he pulled away and got down from the horse and stood by the neck of the stallion; he was so tall that his head reached her waist.

He untied his red cape then handed it to her; she automatically wrapped around her and used it as a hood as well to protect her face from the wind.

"I will return." She promised.

He stared up at her then stepped back from the stallion then smacked the horse's hind. The horse let out what could be considered a scream, she knew just how strong he was and he probably didn't hold back on the horse. It reared then started to sprint away from the warlord's lands and away from her Sesshomaru.

She thought she heard him say something as the horse reared but she wasn't sure if she heard correctly.

"I will wait for you."

He couldn't have said something like that. It seemed so out of character for him and from everything that had happened when she first arrived to now, it blew her mind.

But for now she had to get her mind off of him and think about making it to her town soon or she probably will never get to say goodbye to her grandfather.

XxX

He stood there in silence as he watched her form grow smaller and smaller into the distance then she became nothing. What is her reason for returning? Nothing.

He did all he could do to make sure she would leave his lands safely and now it was on her to make it the rest of the way without him. He knew she was capable of making it since she did come here without help or protection.

He turned and made his journey back to the sanctuary of the castle. With his speed he made it in mere minutes. He went in and stood in the darkened front room and stared at the staircase. He glanced over as he saw candle light and Miroku appeared in front of him. He will never admit it to the guy, but him appearing out of nowhere always creeped him out.

"She left, didn't she?"

Sesshomaru looked away and nodded gently once and stared once again back up the stairs. He didn't feel much energy to go up the stairs and have the constant reminders of Kagome's once used to be presence.

"She will return." He said it in a matter of fact tone but they both knew it was a question.

"If she wishes." Sesshomaru whispered.

"You mean-"Miroku choked on his words and his eyes bugged.

"She said she will return but there are no guarantees." He took one step forward, then another.

"My Lord, she will return." Miroku stated as he tried to convince them both that she will.

Sesshomaru made his way up the staircase leaving Miroku behind. He went to his wing and to the darkened cold room where the glowing feather looked more withered and more decayed.

He placed a hand over the jar and stared down at the now brown and black feather that once used to be white. He knew there wasn't much time left until the curse was set in stone and his appearance would be more grotesque and no hope for him.

Kagome knew there was a curse but he had never been able to tell her what the curse was and why it happened. He tilted his head as he watched a little piece of the feather disconnected then fluttered down and singed before it met the table.

He had never been selfless and never had to think about others until Kagome arrived and changed him. He could all of a sudden breathe and feel emotions once more and it all felt too much at first, but now that it was gone and she was gone, he felt empty and listless. He felt like there was no meaning to him now and that he had no one to protect.

Under any normal circumstance he would not give up so easily but because of him being restricted to only his grounds, he could only control her and protect her when she was here. Now that she was out of bounds, she was out of his hands and it killed him.

He smiled humorlessly and lifted his head to look out at the night sky. So this is what love is. He didn't like the feelings it created within himself. It made him second guess his actions and himself. He turned and stepped to a full length mirror and looked at his reflection.

What stared back at him was something he will never get used to. He had a snout and his eyes were glowing red. How could she kiss him? How did she not gag when she kissed him and allowed him to be so intimate with her? He looked down at his claws and squeezed them into fists. How dare he let a human make him feel less superior and think of himself not worthy of her affections.

He glared at the reflection and slammed his fist into it. It shattered and broke the silence with the glass falling and hitting the ground in pieces.

She had never treated him less superior and he knew it. Not once has she mentioned his looks and not once had she looked disgusted from his ministrations on her. She took care of him when he was wounded and threw herself at him without him coaxing. He could constantly smell her arousal for Kami's sake.

He growled to himself and tried to push his intruding thoughts out and think of something else. But all he could think was about her and already mourn for her loss.

He tried to woo the girl and keep her here to break the curse so she really could see him for what he looked like. But she is gone and he had failed at something for the first time and it unsettled him.

He let out a painful mourning howl into the night to release his sorrow.


	16. Healing

A/N: Sorry about the wait you guys. I was supposed to be working on Brothers Bliss, but I decided I wanted to work on the beast and see if that will help me work on my other stuff. Sorry for any mistakes you will find in here, I will eventually go back through the chapters and fix them. There is also a lime in here for you guys for being so patient and loving! :3 Plus it is a lead up to the big finale of them consummating their relationship and such. :3

Leave me some love because that really does fuel me to write more and gives me such inspiration. Plus it's just nice to hear that people are enjoying your work. :)

* * *

><p>Chapter Sixteen<p>

Healing

The journey back to her small village didn't take as long as it did when she went to the castle the first time. She rode like a bat out of hell and didn't waste time by stopping for her own sake. When the horse needed to rest for a while, she would keep warm and try to rest her eyes but her rampant thoughts wouldn't allow her to rest. A lot of things were on her mind and Sesshomaru was one of them.

When she was still riding away from the castle and Sesshomaru had been long gone, she had heard a mourning howl and she knew in her gut that it was him calling out to her. The howl sounded so sad that it chilled her greater than any snow storm could manage. She had been thankful that he allowed her to leave for just a few days so she could see her family and bid them goodbye. She knew after she left from her visit, she would never see them again, especially her dying grandfather.

She wanted to make the visit quick but she didn't want to rush all too much because of her grandfather and brother. Her heart felt like it was breaking in half once more as she thought of her brother and the condition he was in when she first saw him at the castle. Her worst fears were confirmed from Sesshomaru's men when they said that he didn't look any better than her dying grandfather.

She blazed through the trails to get closer to her small village and knew it wouldn't be long before she had arrived. The settings around her started to look more familiar and the night soon turned to early morning and the darkness started to lift and an occasional bird could be heard.

She rode into her village in the early hours of the morning before anyone was outside to start their day. She got off the horse and led him into a small stall and rid the saddle so he could relax. She quickly left and went to her small home and went inside.

An old woman turned and looked at her with a wary eye and her eyebrows rose, "He has released you?" she asked with a shaky voice.

The old woman looked familiar and flashes of her face came to her when she was sick. That was the healer that took care of Kagome when she was bed ridden. She nodded once and stared at the older woman. She had an eye patch, her gray hair pulled back into a loose ponytail that hung down her back, she had a permanent frown etched into her lips and deep wrinkles were adorned on her face.

"He let you go?" she asked again, but sounded more astounded.

Kagome let out a sigh and took a step forward, "He let me go so I could come here to see my family. I will return soon." She looked toward the bedroom door where she was sure her sick grandfather was still in.

"He is not doing well." The older woman's voice changed to a sad tone, her head bowed down and her shoulder slumped.

Kagome approached the older woman and rested a gentle hand on her shoulders, "We knew this day would come." Her voice wobbled as she tried to cheer up the healer.

The older woman looked up at her with her one good eye, it was smoldering grey and misted with tears. Kagome chewed on her lower lip and tried to smile but her lips felt so heavy, so what she thought was a smile might have looked like a grimace to the older woman.

"And Souta?" Kagome whispered.

"He may look like death but he has a fierce spirit and will surly overcome his sickness." The older woman's voice changed from dull and saddened to fierce and knowing.

Kagome's mouth twitched and she pulled away from the healer, "I wish to see them."

"Your grandfather is in there," her head tilted to where her grandfather had always been, "your brother requested to be in your room." A sad smile graced her lips and made her look just a little younger and much prettier without the frown she wore.

Kagome nodded her head once and made her way to her grandfather's wooden door; she turned the knob and slowly opened it. She saw her mother leaned against the bed, her head rested against her father's arm and her eyes closed. Kagome stepped into the room and made her way to old man's other side and grasped onto his cold hand.

She stared down at his withered face and noticed just how deteriorated he became over her time being absent. She felt her knees wobble and her face drained of color; she tried to tell others and even herself that it was bound to happen but to see her grandfather like this, it was terrible. She knew he had to be in pain and it killed her that there was nothing that she could do. A sob slipped through her lips, she sucked it back and sniffled as she looked over at her still sleeping mother then down at her grandfather's face. With each breath he took it wheezed and garbled, a few times he wouldn't take a breath. Each time she would think that it had been his last breath but then he would wheeze in another breath.

She shakily rubbed her cheeks from the tears that had slipped without her knowledge. She leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on her grandfather's temple. She leaned back up and gasped softly when she saw his eyes had cracked open just a little.

"Kagome?" he whispered.

She nodded and covered her mouth with her hands as she stared down at him.

"Oh, Kagome." He wheezed as he slowly reached his shaky hands out to her.

Kagome took hold of his hands and placed them against her cheeks and she sucked back more sobs.

"I was afraid we wouldn't see you again." He mumbled.

Kagome's brows furrowed at his comment and she leaned in closer to him so he wouldn't have to work so hard to talk, she knew from looking at him that it was painful.

"What do you mean grandpa?"

"Your mother was in tears when she heard that you ran away to get your brother." He coughed that shook his entire body and vibrated her. She smoothed back some of his white hair that was a mess and wet from his sweat. "Souta is back, but I was told that he is not good. But all he kept saying was that you took his place as prisoner." He looked at her with a slight scold.

She frowned just a little and kept smoothing back his hair, "I did what I could."

"Oh, Kagome. He didn't hurt you did he?"

She shook her head slightly; she didn't want to tell him that the first part of her stay that he tortured her. He didn't need to know the beastly things he had done to her, and strangely most of it she had enjoyed it. She flushed as she thought of Lord Sesshomaru and his expert fingers and tongue.

Her grandfather's eyes widened just a little more for she hadn't realized that he had been scrutinizing her with his old weary eyes. "You are not in love with him are you?"

The question was random and it threw her off. Her eyes widened and she stared down at her grandpa who continued to stare up at her with his knowing eyes. His cold hands squeezed gently on her cheeks and pulled away so they were back on his lap and he took a few deep breaths that sounded like it struggled to get to his lungs.

"Hm." Was all her grandfather said from her lack of response to his question. It was as if he knew the answer and she didn't.

He closed his eyes for a few moments and then opened them with love shining in them, "Dear Kagome," he started and glanced over at his daughter, her mother who still slept soundly against the side of the bed. "The man is cursed and had been cursed for hundreds to maybe thousands of years. I just want you to be careful. I am assuming he let you go for whatever reasons, but never would he have released a woman, a beautiful young girl like you, without a price."

Kagome's face flushed and she patted his cold hand. Her grandfather is lying in his death bed and yet he still talks about curses and being careful. She wouldn't be surprised if he sent her away with some kind of medallion to protect her from evil spirits. She smiled sadly and nodded, "I will grandfather. I will be careful."

He mustered all he could to give her a weak smile but it didn't reach his eyes. She stood up from her spot and smoothed his blankets over him and let out a shaky sigh.

"I'm going to see Souta." She mumbled and quietly left the room and shut the door softly. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath and tried hard not to cry.

She didn't know she would feel like this. She was upset about her grandfather and most certainly upset about her brother, but she was more upset over leaving Sesshomaru. She felt like she left a piece of herself there with him. She opened her eyes and saw the healer staring at her with a wary eye.

Kagome nodded once to her and went down the hall to her bedroom. She went in and saw her brother lying under the sheets with his face sweaty and grey looking. She went over and lie down on the bed next to him and smoothed her fingers over his face.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her with blood shot eyes. She sucked in a breath and stared back at him.

"Oh Kami Kagome! You are back." He said weakly but he moved so he could wrap his arms around her and pull her in.

Kagome squeezed him against her and she buried her face in his wet hair not caring if she could get sick. She breathed him in and wrinkled her nose, he needed a bath but he still smelled like himself.

"How did you get out of there?" he asked bewildered.

She pulled away and pushed him gently back down on the bed and smoothed his hair back and sighed. "I requested to leave for a few days to see you."

His brows furrowed and he reached out and held onto her hand, "How did you manage that?"

She shrugged and remembered that she still wore the red cape that Lord Sesshomaru gave her before she left on her own. Souta's eyes went to the red cape that was tied around her and flowed around her body.

"You have his cape…" he whispered, his eyes went wider.

Kagome blushed and sat up and deftly played with his nimble fingers, "I heard about your illness and was upset, so he let me go and gave me his cape for warmth."

"I'm not understanding, sis. How could you have heard in the cell? He worried over your warmth?"

"Well, instead of having me in the cell as a slave, he had me as a servant." She blushed and played more with his fingers.

Souta's eyes grew wider and it was like something clicked in his brain, "He wants you as a bride."

Kagome's face went redder and she covered her face and shook her head, "No, no, no, no." she mumbled in her hands.

"Kagome, you are a beautiful girl. You have people here in our village that want to take you as theirs. I shouldn't be surprised that a warlord, that beast, wants you as his as well. You are beautiful, sis." She peeked through her fingers and saw her brother with his eyes downcast and his face going from the grey to a healthy pink from his blush.

She leaned in and pulled him against her and held onto him, "Souta." She whispered.

"Are you going to marry him?"

She was here for her family and yet everyone was asking questions about her and the warlord. She flushed and nuzzled her face into her brother's neck and tried not to think of Sesshomaru. What was he doing at the moment? Was he thinking of her as well?

"I don't know." She whispered.

"Are you going to be prepared when he orders that you marry him?" his hands squeezed onto her back.

"I don't know." She whispered again.

He let out a sigh and leaned back so he was back on the bed and his eyes were hooded. She stared down at him in silence and he watched her in his silence. She cracked a smile after a couple of minutes and messed his hair up.

"You are growing up you know."

He frowned and swatted her hand away playfully and smiled a little. "Will I see you again?"

Kagome frowned and didn't know how to answer that. She didn't know if she would be allowed to leave the castle again after she return from her visit. Would Sesshomaru really order her to marry him when she returns back to his cursed castle?

"I hope so. I feel like he is changing for the better. I know that I want him to apologize to you for what he did."

His eyes grew wider and that spark of fear came into his eyes and his face became ashen once more, "I don't think that's necessary."

"He really has changed. The servants had become my friends and they tell me that they notice the dramatic change in him as well." She explained softly, but she understood her brother's fear of seeing him once more. Sesshomaru had not been easy on Souta and it still angered her.

Souta shook his head and he reached out to hold onto her hand, "I can't see him. Not so soon." He whispered.

Kagome nodded and leaned down and brushed a kiss on her brother's forehead and stood up, "Get some rest. I'm not leaving today." She whispered and smiled gently. "I want to see you get better."

Souta looked up at her and nodded gently, "I missed you." He whispered.

Kagome cracked a smile and nodded, "I missed you too."

She left the room and closed the door softly and let out a little sigh and went back to the kitchen where the healer made her concoctions that smelled heavenly.

A few days had passed, her brother slowly started to look better and give the healer more hope and cheerful spirits along with her mother who was angry and relieved to see Kagome back. Her grandfather had passed, and it was days of mourning. They buried his withered body in their land and everyone in the village had said their last words for the old man.

But she was happy to know that her grandfather was not in pain anymore and in a better place. Seeing his last moments on earth were painful for the whole family to go through and when he passed, yes they cried, and yes they were angry with Kami but when they settled down and took care of the things that needed to be taken care of, they felt relieved.

Kagome knotted the red cape around her and she put the hood on over her head and smiled at her mother who frowned at her.

"Why do you go back to him?"

"I promised that I would return."

Her mother's shoulders sagged and her scowl deepened, "But he cannot bring you back."

"His men are here aren't they? They could do the job." She glanced outside where some men were working in their now large garden.

Her mother's head titled to a side and she stared at her for a long moment, "You wish to see him again." It was supposed to be a question but sounded more of a statement.

Kagome's face heated from her blush and she nodded once, "I do."

"I don't like that you want to return." She said sternly but she let out a little sigh, "But he allowed you to come back and see us." The last part she sounded like she gave up.

Kagome stepped towards her mother and hugged her, "You will see me again. I promise." She whispered and pulled away from her mother.

She glanced over at her brother who stood there with a little frown and his brown eyes wide and he looked a little healthier, "You all will see me again." She stated and smiled.

"Kagome, don't let him treat you bad. You are a strong beautiful woman, remember that." Souta warned.

Kagome smiled and went over and hugged her brother tightly. She loved that he worried over her and acted as if he were the oldest sibling.

"I must go. He is waiting." She could feel it. Something was going to happen and she didn't know what and she felt the need to ride fast to him.

She turned out of the house with a swish and quickly made her way to the small barn and prepared the stallion. She mounted the beast and made her way out of the village.

"My lord, she is back! She is _back_!" Miroku's voice broke Sesshomaru's sullen thoughts and his gaze pierced the servant who ran through the doors with his arms flailing around him.

"Come see her! She is here!" he retreated out of the office and left Sesshomaru seated in his brown leather chair in shock.

So she had returned? His heart was racing against his chest and he felt a little sweat on his brow. What possessed the girl to actually return to him? He blinked and looked back up at the door and quickly stood from his seat.

Kagome's light but clumsy footsteps could be heard outside the doorway and then she stepped through the threshold of his office and she was breathtaking.

His nostrils flared and he took in a deep breath of her fresh smell of flowers and wilderness along with her musky earthy smell. She still wore his red cape around her shoulders and she looked breathtaking.

She smiled at him shyly and approached his desk where he stood behind, his piercing gaze never faltered as they followed her.

"I have returned from my journey, my Lord." She whispered.

He tilted his head slightly but he kept his features hidden behind a stoic mask. He was shocked, he was thrilled, he was turned on and so many other things he felt at the moment. But there was one thing of many that he missed while she was gone.

"Sesshomaru."

She tilted her head and stared at him confused as he spoke his name softly. He wouldn't repeat himself and didn't know if he had enough energy to stay calm in front of her.

Her blue eyes lit up and slowly her soft lips curved into a gentle smile, "Sesshomaru."

His eyes widened and his gut clenched as she spoke his name like it was a seduction. He walked around the wooden desk and approached her tiny form and stood in front of her. "Again."

She tilted her head back and stared into his eyes and briefly he felt a little insecure with her staring at his beastly looks. He quickly pushed it away and felt pride that she was back in his castle. She had made the move and successfully made her his forever.

"Sesshomaru." She spoke louder; her tongue rolled and made it sound so sensual.

He grasped onto her arms and pulled her form against his with a little groan. He ran his clawed hands down her body and he looked her over to make sure she was not harmed in any way. How did he not notice her crossing the line to his boundaries? She could have been harmed from the protectors. But there was not a scratch on him and his cape smelled of him and he figured they had smelled him on her and kept away.

He leaned down and crushed his lips against hers in his state of overwhelm that she was okay and that she was here in his arms once more.

She let out a little mewl that made him pull her harder against his hard form and made her feel his evidence of how she affected him so. Her little hands wondered over his biceps and up his neck then into his hair. A soft purr erupted from his chest but she did not falter in her movements. He turned her so she was pinned against his wooden desk. He lifted her so she was sitting on it and had her wrap her legs around his waist.

If he wasn't mistaken, she was playing nice with him. Never had this been so smooth before where she went along with his movements. She must have missed him as much as he missed her and that brought some relief to him.

His tongue parted her lips and he gently squeezed onto her hip when she let out a little moan as their tongue touched and started to dance together. Her arousal spiked and sent him closer to the edge of his need of her. He reached up slowly and unknotted the tie of his red cape around her then pressed his claw against one of her breasts.

Oh Kami how he missed her.

She let out a gasp and a moan into his mouth as he squeezed onto her breast and started to pull down the front of her dress to push out her breasts. He pulled away from the kiss and stared down at the morsel. He leaned down and captured a taut nipple in his mouth and squeezed her against him as she bucked and leaned back just a little and rubbed just enough against his erection.

He started to thrust and grind his hips against her as he dry humped her, but all he really wanted was to be buried deep in her virginal sheath. She let out a moan with each movement of his hips and the friction only made his member harden further to the point of pain from being restricted.

He pulled his mouth away from her nipple and it made a little pop as he released it then went to the other neglected nipple and started to repeat the same on it as well. He reached down and started to undo his restricting pants and free his hardened cock. He had to have her now or he was sure he would go crazy.

He snarled and lifted her so that her dress was shoved higher and he pulled her against his waist and let her feel his now free member and rubbed it against her wet sex. He pulled away from her breast once more and stared down at his member and opened her legs to welcome his invasion.

He looked back up at her face and her blue eyes were wide and her cheeks were stained with pink. Her lips were swollen and red from his thorough kisses and would soon be bruised from the future kisses. He pressed the swollen head of his member to her entrance and rubbed it around and pressed it against her entrance. This was it, he was finally going to make her his.

She bucked her hips and leaned her head back and let out little mewls, her arousal masking any doubts that she may have had. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"My Lord, we made a feast for Kagome's…. return." Miroku's voice broke and his footsteps faltered as he entered the office and saw his Lord about to take the young girl.

Sesshomaru turned his head and bared his fangs as he pulled Kagome closer against him to hide her nudity from the servant.

"My Lord, I apologize." He bowed and retreated the office and left Sesshomaru panting and Kagome's arousal faltering.

He turned his head and looked down at the young girl who stared back up at him and blushed. "I should leave." She whispered.

He narrowed his eyes and squeezed her hips tighter and pulled her closer against him so the head of his cock started to invade her sheath. She sucked in a breath that hissed through her teeth and her eyes widened.

"Sesshomaru, My Lord." She gasped.

He shivered as she spoke his name and her legs tightened around his hips. He felt he didn't have much control left in his body and he was all sensation now.

Her body shook and she placed her hands against his lower stomach so his hips were pushed back just a little and the head of his member had been retreated and left the safety of her body. "I must leave and get ready for the feast for my lord."

He snarled and glared down at her, but she smiled gently back up at him as he threw his fit. "Your Lord wants to take what is rightfully his." He seethed. "To hell with the feast."

She pushed him a little more and retreated from the desk and fixed her dress so that all her treasures were now hidden under her dress. She smiled up at him and blushed as she glanced back down and saw his need for her.

"I will see you at the feast?" she bowed slightly and made her way out of the room and left him in agony.

He roared in his frustration and fixed his pants so that his member was back in the constricting pants and he stormed out of the office to find Miroku.

He approached the servant in the kitchen with all the cooks and some other servants, "You will knock on this Sesshomaru's door next time." He snarled.

He noticed the smirk on Miroku's lips but he hid it and bowed low to him, "My Lord, I will make sure to see if it is safe for me to enter."

"And you will bring all of her belongings to _my_ chamber. She is now sleeping there." He turned and quickly left the kitchen.

"What did you do?" he heard someone ask.

"Our Lord was about to have his own meal and spoil the feast we made." He heard Miroku's cheerful voice and then his laughter.

He went back to his office and stopped as soon as he entered the doorway. Her spicy scent still lingered along with the smell of her arousal along with humor.

She was finally back and this time it was not one of the many dreams he had of her. He slowly smiled and closed his eyes as he took in her smell again, the beast purred along with him in satisfaction.


	17. Mine

A/N: You guys are so awesome, have I told you that? I'm such a tease and I know that, and for that I will give a half-hearted sorry._But_ for your patience and dedication to this story, I give you the lemon you all have been waiting for. ;) Remember to leave lots of love for me.

**Warning:** This chapter contains adult situations that young readers are not allowed to read. It _is_ rated MA for a reason, you know?

x~x~x

Chapter Seventeen

_Mine_

His eyes never left her during their feast in celebration of her return. She never figured they would have thrown a party for her returning, but it was certainly a nice surprise. She picked up her fork and shoved a mouthful of the delicious meat they had prepared and she let out a little moan from the taste. She glanced back up at his eyes and they were wide and his body posture was stiff.

She smiled gently and swallowed her food, "You know, your meal will get cold if you continue to stare My Lord."

Sesshomaru's gaze never faltered and he continued to stare at her and watch her as she enjoyed the meal. She did miss the extravagant meals here and wished that her family could enjoy something as delicious as this. She felt goose pimples run along her body and raise every hair on her body from the heated stare Sesshomaru continue to do.

She looked down at her half eaten plate and smiled a little more, she then peeked from under her eyelashes at the Lord and continued to smile her shy smile. "It would seem that you are pouting, but surely a powerful warlord such as yourself does not pout." She teased.

A low growl erupted from his chest that sent more chills through her body and heat coursing through her veins. She was about to say something when the double doors being opened then closed prevented her from speaking her mind. She glanced over and saw Miroku carrying a tray with two dishes on it.

"My lady," Miroku winked and smiled at Kagome as he set down one of the dishes in front of her and presented her a chocolate dessert.

She blushed as he once again without a fail, called her that. She stared down at the dish as Miroku went over to Sesshomaru and presented the dessert dish to him.

"My Lord, is the meal not of satisfaction to you?" Miroku's voice broke the silence.

Kagome looked up at the two men and watched the Lord, who still had yet to look away from her.

"Hn."

She smiled just a little then looked down at her plate and tried to eat the rest of her meal, but she felt uneasy from the cold silence between her and the Lord.

"You do not wish to insult the cook do you?" Miroku continued.

Kagome held back a chuckle from Miroku's fake saddened tone, she knew the servant was trying to work up Sesshomaru and she knew it would work. She was always amazed by how Miroku could talk to Sesshomaru and not get reprimanded, much, by the Lord.

She peeked up and watched as Sesshomaru looked away from her and down at his plate then pick up his fork. She let out a breath she did not know she held, her shoulders sagged a little more and she felt more relaxed. She nodded in Miroku's direction in thanks for getting the stubborn old dog to eat.

Miroku retreated the room quietly and the two continued to eat in silence. She didn't feel like this was much of a celebration, what from the silence and all. She put down her fork and grabbed her spoon as she started to take healthy bites of her dessert. She expected there to be music and talking, but what was happening was far from her expectations.

She peeked at Sesshomaru who continued to stare down and eat his now cold meal in silence. A smile crept to her lips once more and she felt a little nervous as she thought of asking him if they could dance. Her emotions and her qualms over Sesshomaru were so confusing and always bounced back and forth to liking the man to being unsure about the man. She hadn't pushed him away when he about breached her and deflowered her; that had to be something and really showed how she felt about him. She shifted in her seat as the sensation came back of his member started to spread her and promised so much and more.

Her brother's questions came back to her thoughts and she knew the answer now that she was back here with Sesshomaru. She would marry him. But he has yet to propose or even let her know how he feels about her. She looked back down at her plate and narrowed her eyes just a little; Lord Sesshomaru was certainly the only man to catch her interest and make her question herself but yet at the end of the day she loved everything about the man. He had taken care of her and even been sweet a few times to her and that she will never forget. She smiled a shy smile as she remembered their time spent in the hot springs he gave her as a gift. She had wanted him badly and didn't care if someone would have walked in on them or not. She pouted slightly when she remembered Miroku had interrupted that as well and told Sesshomaru that he was needed. It would seem that Miroku intervened a lot when she was close to finally consummating with Sesshomaru.

Her eyes glanced up to look at Sesshomaru's strong but delicate facial features. His jaw line was sharp and his nose was straight but his eyes were heavy lidded and looked lustful and held many secrets. His bangs came down and swept over his forehead and parted to show his crescent moon tattoo on his forehead. She could see his elven ears peek through his long silver hair and it made her want to go over there and touch them, to kiss them and nibble on them. His golden eyes snapped up and met hers and watched her. She noticed as his nostrils flared and her heart started to beat harder against her chest. His thin lips straightened into a tight line and his jaw started to flex with a tic every few seconds. She knew that look and she realized that as she had been admiring him, she had been lustful and wanting.

She slowly stood up from her seat then made her way slowly over to the man who continued to watch her like a predator. She smiled delicately and reached her hand out, "I was just wondering," she whispered and cleared her throat, "If we could dance? I've never got to dance before and I know you would know how to." She murmured.

Sesshomaru stood slowly and grabbed onto her little hand with his large one. He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and he led her out of the dining room and down the hall. She could see the pride puff in his chest after her little compliment she made toward him.

"Play some music." His cold tone broke the silence and made her look up at him.

He continued to stare straight ahead but she saw Sango standing there, gawking at them and a grin on her face. Kagome blushed and looked back at Sesshomaru then straight ahead as they continued to make their way down the hallway then into a grand ball room.

He led her to the middle of the room and turned to face her, his eyes softened as they looked down at her. She nervously took one of his hands and placed the other on his shoulder as he grabbed onto her hip. Just as they started to move, soft music started to play through the ball room and soon enough they got lost in each other.

Kagome felt her mouth dry as they danced and he continued to stare down at her with his half lidded eyes. She was nervous and happy at the same time that he actually danced with her and not scoff at her request of wanting this. He was an exceptional dancer, and she was not.

She tried to move her feet around and take the steps she needed to follow his lead, but in her nervousness, she stomped on his foot and she gasped as he let out a little grunt.

"I'm so sorry." She tried to pull away but he pulled her closer against him.

"Follow my lead." He murmured and continued the same pace.

One song ended then another started; more musical instruments started to join in and she realized that more people came in to play music and it turned into something more romantic and festive. She smiled up at Sesshomaru and let out a giggle.

His lips slowly lifted into a small smile as she giggled and it made her giddier. She laughed softly as he would twirl her or spin her then pull her flush back against his form.

"Thank you for this." She whispered and ran her hand over his shoulder then over to his chest and played with one of the buttons to his coat.

"Sleep with me tonight." His voice sounded raw and if she was not mistaken, nervous. It was also a very random question but it must have been something that was on his mind.

She continued to play with one of the buttons and looked up at him through her eyelashes and a blush tinted her cheeks. It was finally going to happen and she knew there was nothing to stop what was going to happen. But she thought it over and eventually came to her answer.

She nodded and watched as his eyes grew larger and his grip on her tightened. His movements ceased along with hers as they stood there and stared at each other.

She had an idea of what he was thinking, she was starting to know him better and how impatient he can be. She knew he was contemplating whether to continue to dance with her and not seem rushed, or pick her up and carry her to his chambers. Embarrassingly enough for her, she hoped for the latter.

But despite what she really wanted, he started to move again and once more they were dancing and staring into each other's eyes and enjoyed their moment together of serenity.

He had escorted her to his side of the wing and into his personal chambers that he slept in. Her things had already been moved in there and her eyes widened. She looked over at Sesshomaru who stood to the side and stared at her as he waited for her reaction.

She turned back to look at the room and took note on how masculine the room was. It had dark cherry wooden floors, black draperies with a hint of red. The bed was large and could fit ten people comfortably. The sheets looked as if they were made of silk and the pillows looked to be so soft that he stuffed pieces of heaven's clouds in them.

He had his own dressers that were a dark cherry wood as well along with a bar that was close by. She went over to the windows and opened the draperies and allowed the moonlight to fill the room.

The sound of a fire being started broke the silence and she glanced over her shoulder at Sesshomaru who stared into the flames, who looked to be deep in thought.

How was it that she thought they would be connected to the hip once they entered the chambers? That he would be all over her just as much as she would be all over him. The sexual tension between the two of them could be sliced through with a knife and it was killing her. She knew that he would be the one to be her first and only. So why was it that she felt nervous?

She stood there nervously and watched as he continued to stare into the flames then finally he turned his head and his gaze met hers. His eyes were red and his mouth was pulled back in a snarl. She gasped and just as quickly the image was gone, his eyes were back to the amber color and his mouth was set in a line.

He stood there and watched her as she watched him. She didn't know how this would work, she had a pretty good idea of how it was supposed to lead up; but it wasn't happening. Why weren't they in each other's embrace and moaning to each other in their want? Did he really not want to do this with her? Did he feel like he had to lay with her because of some kind of duty? Was it because they were finally alone that maybe perhaps the thrill of it all is gone for him? She wanted him terribly and her body trembled as evidence for her want. So why hadn't he approached her yet and started to touch her like he always did?

She felt angry, let down, embarrassed, shy, sad, and so many other things that she couldn't put names for. She finally embraced the anger and wanted his hands on her. She knew what she wanted and she wanted it at that moment. She quickly approached him and grabbed ahold of his face and pulled him down so their lips could meet. She melted like butter against him and let out a soft moan as he responded to her needy kiss. It was like something had exploded between the two of them and electricity shot through the both of them and banded the two of them together. It seemed like everything happened in slow motion but they both knew their movements were hurried and primal.

His hands came to her waist and squeezed onto her. Her own tiny hands went up his cheeks and into his hair and scratched his scalp with her blunt nails. The rumble of his purr vibrated through his chest and against her tiny and already shaken form.

Their tongues met each other in their haste and danced together. His tongued mimicked the movements that soon his hardened erection will do soon enough; it darted in and out of her mouth in hurried movements and left her feeling wanton and moan in her tiny protest. She sucked in a breath as he pulled her roughly against him and backed her up slowly until she was pinned against the wall and his hard body.

His large claw came up and squeezed on her sensitive breasts and pushed down the top so that they spilled out and into his warm hand. She arched her back and moaned into his mouth as his expert fingers started to roll a hardened nipple between the thumb and forefinger.

"Say my name." he rumbled.

"Sesshomaru." She whispered and arched her back more into his grasp and wiggled her hips against his.

She heard a hiss escape his lips and his hips pressed back against hers and rolled lazily back into her. She let out a needy mewl and bucked her hips against his. He pulled away from the kiss and her eyes cracked open to see him staring down at her, watching her intently as he continued to play with a nipple and grind his hips against hers.

"You do not favor this dress do you?" he whispered.

"W-what?" she whispered back and gasped as he pressed his hips harder against hers.

"Too late." He growled and pulled away quickly that left her feeling empty. She gasped as he slashed at her dress, careful not to hurt her. It all fell away from her form and pooled around her feet.

"I did like that dress." She gasped.

"I can replace it." He snarled and filled in the space between them and crashed his lips back against hers.

The dress all forgotten and Sesshomaru consumed her body and thoughts. She moaned and ran her hands back through his hair and scratched at his scalp again; she took notice that he enjoyed it. A low rumbling purr broke through his chest and filled her being with the vibrations once more.

She let out a gasp as he moved his lips down her exposed neck and nipped a few spots that released louder moans from her and her hips bucked against his. He trailed hot wet kisses over her chest then to her breasts, giving each nipple a playful tug with his teeth. He then opened his mouth and took one nipple and half breast into his mouth and started to suck and swirl his tongue around the peak.

She leaned back as she arched her back and held onto his head as he ravaged her breast. She closed her eyes as she was washed over with sensation and the feeling of his mouth against her breast shot down her stomach to her lower region. She squirmed and felt a tickle that she had never felt before and it drove her insane. She opened her eyes and watched as he suckled on her breast then nipped on her nipple. He released her nipple with a sound pop then moved to her other breast, his golden gaze flicked up to her face and stared at her as he repeated the same ministrations on her other breast.

"Ah Sesshomaru. It-tickles-" she gasped and rubbed her hips violently against his.

His eyes darkened but he never once pulled away from her breast. His free claw came up and played with the breast that was not getting the attention from his mouth. She sucked back and hissed through her teeth as the sensation built more in her lower stomach and the friction of her rubbing her exposed sex against his hips built more.

She leaned her head back and felt her body tremble with her pleasure as she lifted one leg and wrapped around his waist then quickly wrapped the other around his waist and moaned louder as he pushed harder against her so she was cushioned again him and the wall. The feel of his hardened member through his pants sent more pleasure through her.

"Come for me." He rumbled as he pulled his mouth away from her breast.

He moved his hips back then he thrust them forward and repeated as he watched her face. She trembled and held onto his arms as he continued to grind and hump against her that sent her over. She screamed out his name and heard loud buzzing in her ears as she had a powerful orgasm. She saw spots behind her eyelids and he had yet to cease his movements that sent her higher in her euphoria.

She felt herself being gathered and carried away from the spot and then lie down on a soft bed. She opened her eyes and breathed hard as she came to and watched as Sesshomaru undressed himself. She slowly sat up and looked into his eyes as he slowly undressed himself and exposed his body.

As he freed himself of his coat and then shirt, she looked down his chest and abdomen and watched as his muscles flexed as he continued to undress himself. His biceps tightened as he worked on his pants and freed his large desire for her. She scanned her eyes down his washboard abs and followed the silver happy trail from his navel to his pubic area. His member throbbed with the blood that poured into that one certain part of his body and veins swirled around the member and to his sac. She looked up into his eyes and then back down and found herself moving until she was on her knees, face to face with it.

She hesitantly reached out and touched the appendage and heard a hiss come from him. She looked up nervously and saw his golden eyes had started to swirl with red and became more hooded and a slight smirk graced his lips. She looked back at the swelling desire and continued to feel it. It felt hard like steel that was encased in velvet and it shocked her that something like that could feel that way.

"Kiss it." His voice rumbled, deep and no longer his normal voice.

She leaned in and pressed her lips against the head and tasted the dew that came from the hole. It was salty but not unappealing what so ever. She wanted to taste him more so she opened her mouth and slowly took him in her mouth inch by inch. She stopped as soon as she felt him touch the back of her throat and yet there was still more of him that she couldn't encase in her mouth. She sucked softly and swirled her tongue around to taste him more, his snarls did not frighten her but instead it made her feel more confident.

She wrapped her tiny hand around the base of his member; her fingers did not circle fully around the girth of him. How in the world was he going to fit _this_ inside her? Her jaw was already sore from having her mouth open as wide as she could go to fit him in. She rubbed up and down on the base and continued to suck and swirl her tongue around. She pulled him out of her mouth and licked down the entire length of him and opened her mouth to allow his heavy sac in her mouth and she suckled gently.

He let out a howl and his form shook from her ministrations on him. She felt proud of herself that she was able to finally make him weak and moan for her. She was quickly pulled up to her feet and his lips crashed against hers as he pushed her back on the bed and his large body covered hers.

She let out a moan as he clawed hands roamed over her body and one spread her legs and allowed him to nestle in between. His fingers gently brushed against her folds and made her squirm.

"So wet for me already." He whispered roughly.

A finger slid between the folds and into her opening and deep into her core. She let out a grunt and squeezed onto his back as he moved his finger slowly in and out of her. Slowly another finger joined the first and spread her further and she knew what he was doing. She leaned her head back and away from his lips as she took in deep breaths and bucked her hips against his palm as he invaded her core with a third finger. She hissed as he spread her further with his fingers and prepared her for the monster. She moaned as he kissed down her neck and worked on a certain spot that sent heat spiraling back through her and filling her core.

A fourth finger joined the others and she wanted to cry from the pain. She squeezed tighter onto him and clenched her inner walls as he pushed all four fingers in and out of her and spread her further so she was prepared. He growled softly against her neck and nipped her so she could unclench her inner walls. She panted and let out a louder moan as he retreated his fingers from her core.

She held her breath as he spread her legs further and his hips grinded against hers as he started to push the head of his desire into her and stretch her beyond what his fingers did. She arched against him and gasped as he continued to push further and fill her. She squeezed onto his back and bit down with her blunt teeth on his shoulder. He continued to keep his face buried into her neck and pushed further into her, and listened to her pained groans. He hit the virginal barrier and knew it would hurt more for her. He grasped onto her hips and slammed his hips against hers and filled her to hilt and broke her barrier.

She screamed out and squeezed her legs tightly around him and pushed him further into her. He groaned and lifted his head out of her neck and stared down at her tear stained face.

"It hurts." She gasped and shook under him.

"You will get used to it." He murmured and waited a few seconds for her to adjust to the fullness of him.

He started to move his hips slowly; not fully retreating out of her as he pulled back then filled her once more. She let out groans and scratched at his arms as he moved at a slow speed.

The pain was excruciating for her but eventually it started to die down from the friction and once more she was filled with the heat that pooled in her lower stomach. She started to move with his hips and met with each thrust. She let out heavy breaths and then moans as the friction became pleasure and his movements started to pick up and his hips were harsher against hers.

Each time she would moan he would go faster and she found out pretty fast that he was an auditory species. Of course, he was a beast, even though she didn't see it, he acted it and it was in his blood to hear the mate in their pleasure. She leaned her head back and let out louder moans as he picked up his pace and became a little rougher with her.

This had been better than what she expected; she never thought that she would squirm under him and feel like her whole body had combusted into flames. Even the sounds he made, though he made few, sent pleasure to wave through her. He snarled, he growled, he grunted and it all turned her on.

She gasped as he pulled out of her and left her feeling empty, she whimpered and reached back out for him. He couldn't be done and just leave her hanging like that, would he? He turned her over and got her on her hands and knees so she was faced away from him. He took his place behind her and grasped onto her hips and pulled her back against him and once more he filled her.

They both let out their sounds of pleasure, she mewled and he snarled. She squeezed onto the sheets as he picked up his pace once more and slammed his hips each time against hers and pushed her forward. She felt much tighter around him and he felt larger and filling in this position. She grinded her hips against his and in that moment he howled and dug his claws into her hips that made her bleed a little and he moved a much quicker pace.

The sounds of flesh meeting flesh broke the silence other than their sounds of pleasure. She could feel his heavy sac slap against her clit unrelenting and eventually it threw her over the edge. She leaned her head back and let out her cries of pleasure and brought Sesshomaru along with her. He leaned over her and clamped his sharp teeth into shoulder and snarled as he spilled his hot seed into her womb and filled her with his essence. She let out further cries of her pleasure as her inner walls clenched around him and milked him for everything he was worth and sent her spiraling in her pleasure.

She trembled as the wave of pleasure finally ended and she felt her eyes grow heavier by the second. He stayed inside of her as he panted and squeezed on her soft flesh of her behind. He pushed his still hardened member further into her that made her whimper.

After a few silent moments he retreated from her warm cavern and she fell forward and buried her face into the feather pillows. She felt his body weight come next to her and pull her against his sweaty chest. She opened her eyes slightly and saw him staring down at her and his eyes were pink from his lingering desire.

She reached up and gently rubbed his cheek and let out a soft moan as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly. It didn't last all too long and he pulled away from the kiss and curled her against him as he played with her damp hair and allowed her to rest.

She smiled to herself and knew that she did not regret what they did together and hoped that it would soon become a habit for them. She didn't want to think of her fears, she didn't want to ruin the moment and feel terrible. She snuggled closer against his soft flesh and let out a content sigh and slowly succumbed to sleep.

Why hadn't it worked? He had been sure that if he had finally lain with the girl who he loved, that the curse would lift and she would see him for who he really is, or what he really looked like. But it hadn't worked and the feather continued to wither and burn.

He had gotten out of bed an hour after Kagome had fallen asleep in his arms. He watched her slumber and her eyebrows crease occasionally and her lips pucker. Did she dream of him? He had seen that look that she did in her sleep, towards him. His heart swelled at the thought of the girl dreaming of him. He watched her silently for an hour and soon enough he had grown impatient and wanted to see the feather, to see if his actions were not in vein.

He snarled and threw random objects in his fit and covered his face with his claws. He breathed harshly and lowered his hands from his face and looked in the full length mirror. He turned away and sniffed disdainfully and glared at a portrait of himself that had been painted a long time ago, long before the curse. Long before he met Kagome and long before he accepted a human to be his lover.

He didn't know what to do now, it was out of his control and he would never have the curse lifted. He did everything he could. He took a deep breath and looked towards the door and thought about going back to his chambers and finally sleep. He had been shocked that she allowed a beast such as himself to touch her and make love to her; did she not care about his looks?

He looked back outside and saw the moon was half full. He stared at it for a while and got lost in his thoughts and tried to figure out what he should do to lift the curse. He came up with nothing.

He let out a sigh and slowly turned out of the room and retreated back to his chambers where the sleeping girl who held his heart rested in his bed. He closed the door behind him and he slowly approached the bed and undressed himself once more. He climbed back on the bed and under the sheets and pulled her warm body against his own.

Would she stay with him no matter how he looked?

"Sesshomaru." She whispered.

He looked at her face and saw her eyes still closed and her breathing still soft from her slumber. He smiled just a little, so she did dream of him. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers then pulled away and nuzzled his face in her hair and closed his eyes.


	18. Snapped

A/N: Yay for updates! I know it has been a long minute since I have updated this story but with the help of some good friends, they gave me an awesome idea. Please, for the love of God and all that is holy, DO NOT KILL ME. Please don't be upset with me for changing the tempo and kind of... going back a little. heh. I hope you enjoy and there will be lots of future steamy smut and BDSM. leave me loves. Not hates. I dont like hates. Or AKA Flames. Sorry for any mistakes you find, they will be fixed eventually.

Enjoy and love me. :)

Chapter Eighteen

Snapped

Kagome's long black eyelashes fluttered open, her azure orbs settling on the spot where Sesshomaru should have been but wasn't. Slowly, she raised herself on her elbow and looked around the dark room for his form, hoping to find he was sitting in a chair or in a corner, but he was nowhere to be found. She looked back at the empty spot and frowned as doubt started to course through her being. Was she not that great last night and he regretted for even bringing her to bed with him? Did she do or say something wrong? Hesitantly, she reached out and touched his side and found the spot cold. He had been gone for a while now and didn't bother to wake her up and tell her he was leaving. Her lower lip trembled and she looked away from the spot as she tried to toughen up and not cry.  
>Was this all part of the plan for him? To seduce her and to make her believe that he had some sort of feelings for her, then take her to bed and leave her afterwards? She shook her head to stop her thoughts. Her face became flush with embarrassment as well as anger. Carefully she climbed out of bed and padded across the room to her tattered dress on the ground. An angered sigh escaped her tiny form and she leaned down and grabbed the dress and tried to cover as much of her nude body as she could. Quickly, she made her way out of the room, down the long hallways and to her wing and her room. She was thankful that no one was in the hallway and to catch her in the lack of dress she was in.<p>

Angrily, as she made her way into the room, she threw the dress on the ground and stormed to the wash room and stepped into the large pool of hot water. She slid back in the water and stared up at the golden ceiling and frowned. What had she done? Had she made a mistake by giving her innocence to someone who she thought cared for her? Why hadn't he wakened her when he left the bed? Did he not realize that she had feelings and waking up to a cold bed after all they had done would hurt her feelings?  
>Doubt of the warlord coursed through her veins and filled her with a sick feeling. He was exactly that, a warlord, and he was very cunning in seducing her and making her believe that he would harm her. She had started to feel a new and powerful emotion for him…<br>Kagome shook her head violently and started to sob softly, she couldn't think of the new emotion. It would hurt too much if she would admit to herself that she felt that way for him. Perhaps she was over exaggerating on what had happened and that he had some business to attend to? She hoped to Kami that was what it was and not him laughing at her and leaving her feeling abused.

Feeling heart broken, she looked back down at the water and wept.

Kagome made her way to the kitchen slightly hoping to find Sesshomaru there, but he wasn't and the kitchen workers as well as Miroku were preparing the meal to break their fast. She frowned and looked around but stopped when someone greeted her.  
>"Hm?" she turned her head and saw that Miroku was watching her and a smile started to fade away from his lips.<p>

"Have you been crying, my Lady?" he took a step towards her but stopped when she took a step away from him and shook her head.

"Where is Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked softly. She had to see him; she had to know if she had done something wrong or if this was all in her mind and nothing to worry about. The situation for her was delicate.

A frown played on Miroku's lips, he didn't look very good with a frown… it wasn't him at all. "He had been in his study for a while now. Is everything alright?"

"Good morning, Lady Kagome!" Shippo's voice chimed in as he marched in happily.

Kagome turned her head to look at the little boy who had some chocolate smeared on his face, she would have found it amusing any other time but at that moment all thoughts were consumed of Sesshomaru. She looked back at Miroku with a slight pout on her lips, "How long had he been in there?" She willed her voice to stay strong and not crack.

Miroku's black eyebrows rose and wrinkled his forehead in the process, "I'm not sure. Well before dawn. My Lady is everything alright?" he asked the question again.

Kagome waved her hand around, "Please, don't call me that." She said a little too frustrated then turned on her heel and made her way out of the kitchen to the study where Sesshomaru was last seen.

Nervous, Kagome chewed on her bottom lip and approached the study room timidly. The door was cracked and no voices could be heard. She crept up to the door and opened it slowly and saw Sesshomaru standing in front of the large window staring outside to the snow covered world.

"My Lord?" she whispered.

Sesshomaru's figured tensed but he didn't turn his head and continued to stare outside. He was adorned in his usual warlord gear and even wore the red cape he had given her to keep her warm on her travels. Kagome tilted her head and made her way slowly to him, her hand reaching to touch him. "Have I... done something wrong?"

Sesshomaru pulled away from her before she was able to make contact, he then walked over to the large wooden table and stared down at the map that was spread over the large table. Kagome watched him as he leaned over and placed his hands on either side of the map and had his head bent so she couldn't see his face. Fresh tears filled her eyes but did not spill over; she would not allow him the pleasure of seeing her cry. Her heart skipped a few beats in her nervousness, why was he not speaking to her? So, she must have done something wrong in his standards. Perhaps she didn't move the right way or say the right things the previous night. "Was this your plan all along? Seduce me into your bed and after you get what you want, you ignore me?" she whispered heart brokenly.

Sesshomaru lifted his head and looked right at Kagome, she felt like he could see into her soul. She felt like he always could anyways. She had exposed herself to him and opened her heart to him and he was going to treat her this way? Kagome averted her eyes downward to the floor so she wasn't looking directly at him. She couldn't bare to watch him watch her and know every emotion she was going through. Sounds of wood scratching and being peeled broke the silence between the pair, but no words broke the tense air. After a few minutes, no words were spoken and she wanted to have answers. She looked up and saw that he was glaring at her and his claws were scratching into the map and wooden table.

"What is wrong with you? Why won't you talk to me?" she asked a little louder.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed more and his lips curled back into a snarl as he continued to glare at the grief stricken girl.

Kagome's blue eyes widened as he snarled at her and stayed hunched in his spot as he continued to look at her like she was some pest. She took a timid step towards him but stopped as he snarled again at her. "Sesshomaru…" she whispered heart brokenly.

Sesshomaru threw the table to the side so it smashed against the wall; he stood up straighter so he could tower well above her. He looked down his nose at her and took long strides so he was in her space, "_You_ have deceived this Sesshomaru. You made this Sesshomaru believe that you were the one to break the curse, but you are nothing but a lie." He snarled.

Kagome's eyes widened as she stared up at his angry face, "W-what?" she whispered breathlessly.

His beautiful face transformed into the beastly face she had seen many times before, his hair became shaggier, his mouth turned into a snout and his eyes grew larger and were red. She blinked a couple of times but the image did not disappear like it usually did. A scream stopped in her throat as she stepped away quickly but he followed her like a predator and towered above her.

"_You_ think that you can deceive this Sesshomaru and get away with it? You believe that you can just toy with this Sesshomaru's emotions and get away with it?" he snarled and snapped his hands out so they crashed against the wall that her back was to.

Kagome let out a yelp as his arms came on both sides of her and prisoned her. She gasped and looked up at his face and breathed harshly, "What are you talking about? You were the one that left the bed last night, you are the one that is toying with my emotions!" she yelled out feeling outraged.

Sesshomaru leaned in more and snarled more and snapped his teeth close to her face, "You will not talk to this Sesshomaru that way!" he roared and snarled.

"What has gotten into you!?" she screamed and punched at his chest to get him away from her. All she wanted to do now was leave the place forever.

Sesshomaru's claws snapped around her wrists like a vice and held her tightly as he growled lowly at her, "You made this Sesshomaru actually believe that the curse will be lifted." He whispered with a low growl.

Kagome looked up at his beastly face and gasped as he mentioned the curse. She had heard whispers around the castle about a curse but no one spoke of it. He wouldn't even speak of it… at least not until now. "The curse? What is the curse?" she asked trying to distract him.

Sesshomaru's lips went back in another snarl and he snapped his teeth close to her face again in warning, "You are nothing to this Sesshomaru. You are a prisoner… you had taken advantage of this Sesshomaru's mercy and kindness." He growled.

Kagome struggled more against him and let out a scream but stopped when he shook her violently and roared, "You will stop that screaming!" he roared.

Kagome shook her head and let out little sobs, her body shook in her fright and the worst case scenarios went through her head of what he was going to do her. Had he lost his mind? What made him snap like this?

Another scream escaped her as he pulled her from her spot and dragged her out of the office and through the hallways. She struggled against him and let out screams as he continued to drag her around the castle and she knew exactly where he was taking her. The prison cell. She screamed for help and looked around for someone to help her. She caught eyes with Miroku who ran up and stopped to watch his Lord drag the writhing girl to her doom.

She let out a yelp as Sesshomaru dragged her up the large tower to the prison cell and threw her in the old cell she had been in for a day. She lifted herself on her feet and looked at Sesshomaru with tear filled eyes as he slammed the prison cell shut and glared at her.

"Why are you doing this? I did nothing!" she screamed.

"That is why… because you did nothing." His voice was back to the calm voice she knew and deep. It held a hint of sadness and his eyes blazed red in his fury.

XxX

Sesshomaru tossed and turned in bed with his lover. She had been fast asleep during his fits and he couldn't seem to rest his mind and body. He had been upset that he hadn't changed back to his full human form, his beauty, for his lover to see and to cherish. Doubt coursed through him, what if she was not the one to break the curse? Perhaps he had been wasting his time and effort on her when it should have been someone else that he should have been going after. She had gotten under his skin and was able to make him feel these emotions for her and it frustrated him that he was still under the curse.  
>She had lied.<br>She had deceived.  
>Sesshomaru shook his head from his thoughts and looked over at Kagome who slept soundly next to him. He rolled on his side and faced the woman and placed his lips gently against her temple and took in a deep breath so her intoxicating scent filled his being. He wouldn't have enough of her, he never would. She was his poison.<br>She had lied.  
>She had deceived.<br>She will not break the curse; she never was to break the curse.  
>Sesshomaru's lips curled back in a silent snarl at his thoughts. He pulled away from the naked beauty and stared up at the ceiling. He would not be able to sleep. He felt this anger build inside of him and he started believe the words and thoughts.<br>She used you.  
>She laughs at her victory over you.<br>She was a prisoner and used you to escape.  
>Sesshomaru shot out of bed and silently padded his way over to the fireplace. She had not used him. She had returned for him after he had released her, she didn't have to return but she had. He glared at the fire and hissed as the thoughts and feelings coursed through him stronger and started to overtake his mind. Something was happening. This was not him. Where were these doubts coming from?<br>She is nothing special.  
>She used you and will leave you.<br>You are forever cursed because of the bitch.  
>Sesshomaru shook his head and snarled again to shake out the thoughts. He turned his heated glare over to the girl who still slept soundly on his bed. He had to leave; he didn't want to hurt the girl. He dressed himself and quietly made his way out of the room and found himself in his study.<br>He paced the room quietly and tried to shake away the thoughts and the feelings that were flooding and drowning him. He loved Kagome. He could never harm her. She accepted him.  
>But does she love you?<br>She never admitted she loved you.  
>She used you.<br>Sesshomaru roared and bared his fangs at nothing but air. She had to love him. She never spoke of it but that night she had proved to him that she loved him. That would be enough to suffice the warlord. It was he that wanted her and always tried to take her, not the other way around. He would know right away if she were up to something.  
>She studied you.<br>She knows how you work.  
>Sesshomaru froze and stared outside the window and watched the snow fall gently from the sky and onto the ground. She couldn't have studied him that well and know how he worked, could she? He's heard of women being deceivers and working for armies or gangs and learning of the enemy and deceiving them, is that what had happened to him?<br>Yes. She deceived you.  
>She learned of your skills and used them against you.<br>Sesshomaru's body went tense and he stared sadly outside. So she had used him. She had learned about him and deceived the old and great warlord.  
>Punish her.<br>He couldn't punish her. He had before and yes he had enjoyed it, but he couldn't do it to her now. All he wanted was for her to leave, to leave him in his misery and live out his life and die.  
>Punish the girl. Show her you are the fear warlord and you will not be abused.<br>Sesshomaru let out a sigh of defeat and allowed the emotions fill him. Yes. He will punish her. But not like his other prisoners. Oh no, he will be sure to make her writhe and scream and want more and for him to stop at the same time. She had used him and hurt his feelings, so he will use her and hurt her feelings. He would use her body against her and make her long for release and death.

"My Lord, what are you doing up so early?" Miroku's voice broke Sesshomaru's thoughts.

His red eyes flashed and turned to land on Miroku. The servant was in his night wear and held a candle to light the darkened room. "Do you wish for me to light a fire for you?" he stepped more into the office and went to the fireplace and started to throw logs in.

Sesshomaru turned away from the servant and stared back outside and watched the virgin snow fall from the sky and stick to the snow on the ground to build. A strike of match broke the silence and Miroku's soft footsteps made their way to the warlord and stood next to him. "Is the lady okay?"

Sesshomaru didn't move and continued to stare outside. "Hn."

Miroku was silent for a few short minutes then took in a heavy breath and let it out slowly, "We still have time, My Lord. Love shines in her eyes for you." He whispered.

Sesshomaru tensed and turned his head slowly and glared at servant. "You are speaking out of place." He growled lowly.

Kagome did not love him. She used him. She had this planned all along and he will be sure there will be payback. She did not know who she was messing with. Two could play the game.

"I apologize, My Lord. But please be patient." Miroku whispered then slowly left the room and left the warlord alone to his thoughts and plans.

Yes, feel the anger. Use the anger against her.  
>Torture her. Use her, like she used you.<p>

Sesshomaru's claws lengthened and his hands balled into tight fists and dug into the skin of his palm and made him bleed. Something was wrong. The love he felt for the woman was quickly being overtaken by rage and hatred. Was this some new emotion he hadn't felt for a long time?  
>Hatred? Anger?<p>

Sesshomaru's lips lifted into a grim smile as he continued to stare outside, yes… he felt anger and hatred for the woman who had used him and made him believe that she was the one to break the curse on him. Never again will he open himself up.

"_You will be cursed to forever be the ugly beast that you are. Never again will you use your looks to seduce women into your bed. Never again will you feel. You must learn to feel again and hope that a woman will love your personality rather than the way you look or feel." The witch pointed her long nail at him as she spat out her words. She threw her head back and laughed as shock crossed over the warlord's face and he started to feel himself changing. She glared at the warlord as his looks distorted and groans escaped him as he knelt down and panted heavily as he became disoriented from the curse. "There will only be one who will break the curse and you will have a short amount of time to woo her and make her fall in love with you. For a beast like you, that will be the hardest thing to do in your long lived life." She laughed and stepped forward and knelt down so her face was close to his, her bright red eyes scanned over his face and amusement flashed in the bright red eyes of the witch.  
>She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the beast's ear, "There will be hardships and traps should you try to cheat." She whispered then stood up and straightened her tight dress and grinned at the pained warlord.<br>Sesshomaru looked up at the witch and panted heavily as the dizziness he felt continued to spin him around. "You…bitch." He growled.  
>The witch laughed and started to walk away, she paused and looked over her shoulder and smirked, "Your fellow servants are cursed as well. Never will they be able to speak of the curse. Never will they find love. Soon they will turn against you." She then disappeared into the fog that encompassed around them. <em>


	19. Long Overdue

A/N: Yay for updates! It's about time I update this.. I just had no ideas of where to go with this since I'm kind of starting back on square one with this. Sorry for any mistakes you will find, because you will find them. I hope you all enjoy and NO this is not the last chapter. A LOT more will come after this. **This has lemons limes cherries berries and whipped cream.** This story is rated MA for a reason and not for minors.  
>Warnings with this chapter: There is rape... so if anyone doesn't like that, sorry but please don't read and certainly no hates and flames. I love smut and all sorts of smut (No I dont support rape) and will push limits and such. Just like necrophilia (In my story And We All Have A Hell). Anyways... Leave loves and Merry Christmas and Happy not-the-end-of-the-world-day!<p>

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Footsteps echoed through the large and nearly empty cellar where a prisoner wept silently. Each footstep up the winding staircase was a warning with how much closer the person was approaching and made Kagome's body stiffer until finally, the being was outside of her prison gate and their stare burned into her back that was faced to it. She couldn't find the energy or guts to turn around and face whoever it was, even though she knew it was Lord Sesshomaru.

"Wench, you will face your master." His voice was soft and held a menacing threat.

Kagome flinched and bowed her head low as she tried to control her heavy breathing from her previous crying as well from her anxiety. How was it that he snapped overnight and treated her the way he was treating her? How could it be that he was treating her worse than before? She could not and would not face him and have him look at her as if she were some… disease and not remember the passionate night they had shared. Images of that night plagued her while she had been in the cellar alone for who knows how long.

"You not following orders of your master will be the death of you, woman." He spoke again but his voice was deeper and a little hiss could be heard with his words.

"How could you be so cold? Had you forgotten the passion we had?" she mumbled weakly and closed her eyes shut and held back from releasing the sobs that had started to bubble up within her chest.

"I will not repeat myself, wench." He growled lowly.

Sadly on her part, she longed for death if this was how she was going to be treated. She feared that she would be locked away in the cage and never be released again. She should have stayed in her home town when he had been generous and allowed her to visit her family. He couldn't have retrieved her, she knew that he had been worried that she would not return… but for her duty and feelings for him, she had returned and in the end she got bit in the ass for it. A sad smile tugged at her lips and she felt tears stream down her face. "You are a monster. I cannot believe that for a moment, you weren't as bad as I had presumed. I was wrong." She whispered but knew he had heard her.

The cell gate opened and his footsteps slowly approached her; she knew that he had no worry for her trying to escape what was to come. He circled around her like a predator and gazed down at her- she knew because of the way her skin crawled and burned from the lethal stare. She did not lift her head, she refused to look up to the fact and have the memories swarm over her and be reminded that the face she once thought was gentle and caring was instead beastly and full of hate and rage. He stopped in front of her and stood so close that her face was inches again from his clothed legs. The hair on the back of her neck rose along with the hair on her arms and legs; instinct told her to run away from him and that there was danger. He was dangerous and he was planning on doing something.

"What do you plan on doing to me? Beat me? Kill me?" she whispered as she kept her eyes down.

"Hn," he sneered and grabbed onto her hair and pulled hard to make her look up at his beastly face. His eyes were wide and blood shot red and only little pin drops showed his pupils, his face had been elongated into a snout with his lips curled back to bare his sharp fangs. Soft white fur was on his face and his ears were a little longer and abnormal as they went back more and drooped just a little in a dog-like manner. He looked terrible and it made bile rise to her throat; had he looked like that when they had sex? She kissed a snout instead of lips? She tried to shake herself away from him but he held tighter onto her hair and snarled to warn her. She screamed as she continued to wriggle away from his grip and was only pulled back to his feet. "I do not plan to kill you. I do however have much better plans for you. You may not be the one to free this Sesshomaru from the curse, but I will continue to relieve myself with you." He stated simply as she screamed.

"Relieve yourself with me?! You plan on turning me into some kind of mistress?!" she screamed and writhed more to escape his clutch but was pull back over to him. He knelt down then sat down and pulled her over his lap so she was position on her tummy over his thighs and had her rear in the air.

"_You_ don't even deserve that title. You are a slave, nothing more." He growled and lifted her dress up so it pooled around her hips and exposed her bare ass to his eyes. He looked away from the pale skin of her rear to her face as she continued to squirm away from him. Irritated, he pulled her hair to pull her head back more and expose the expanse of her throat.

"Perhaps I could help with this curse. There is always a way to break a curse!" she pleaded and let out a cry as he continued to pull her hair and send pain through her scalp and down her body. She had wished for death but instead she is granted life but as some sort of sex slave for the beast. Did that mean other aspects of his body had changed as well? She didn't want to find out.

"The curse cannot be undone!" He roared and with his free hand he began to slap her hard on the ass. She let out a scream with each strike he gave; he on the other hand groaned and squeezed onto her hair tighter as he watched the pale skin become pink then red with his attentions. Rage had filled him as well as lust. He despised the human who made him feel like he could be loved, that the curse would end. Instead of the passion that had filled him and the hope that he had, it had been replaced with these ill feelings for her. How he wanted to bury himself in her deep and be rough with her. He wanted to break her apart.  
><em>She deceived you. She had cringed and screamed as she laid eyes on you… she hates you.<br>_More rage filled him as the small voice spoke to him and planted its seed of resentment and hatred.

Kagome's head was still held back and her eyes could not stay open for longer than a few seconds as he continued to spank her with such brutal force. "You are hurting me!" she screamed out.

Sesshomaru continued to strike and smirked as he watched her skin smart from his force, "That is the point." He growled lowly and continued to spank her but after a few more blows he slowed and rubbed large circles over her warm ass cheeks. He released her hair and pushed her head down and kept it down with the weight of his arm as he continued to rub the soft skin of her rear. He pulled her cheeks apart and released; he then pulled her legs apart and lifted her hips higher up and went back to pull her cheeks apart.  
>The smell of her heat and arousal drifted up to his sensitive nose and filled him with such a high. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of the sweet smell. In his head the room was spinning and he could feel his member harden more from the sweet smell of invitation.<p>

_Use her. Make her more frightened of you. Make her please you and beg you in her fear._

He opened his eyes and looked back down at the invitation and ran his claws over her wet folds and glided them up to her puckered asshole. She whimpered and wiggled to move away from him but he pulled her back and ran his claw back down to retrieve more of her nectar and spread it back up to her asshole. "I punish you and you are aroused." It was meant as a question but came out as a statement.

She shook against him and reached her hands out to crawl away from him but he kept her still. He continued to rub against her opening and then up to her asshole and continued to do that for several minutes. "Stop it!" she yelled out as she reached behind her and tried to swipe him away from her.

Sesshomaru snarled and pushed her off of him and stood up and gracefully left the cellar. Kagome whimpered and crawled across the ground and was about to make her way out of the cellar, as he had left the door open, but as quickly as he left he had returned but not empty handed. She looked up and saw he had rope and whips. Her eyes widened and she backed away quickly and shook her head. She did not want to be whipped again; it took days for the lacerations in her back to heal.

"It has been overdue for you to learn some lessons." He said softly. It was strange and sent chills down her back to see the beastly man to speak so softly and calmly.

She stood up on her feet and backed away in the cell as he stepped forward and dropped the whips but held the rope. They did a little dance around each other, her trying to get away from him and out of the cell for her freedom, and he to get to her and tie her up. She dipped down as he closed the distance and she crawled past him but only to be pulled back by the hips and had her hands quickly put behind her. "Please stop it!" she screamed.

Sesshomaru did not care for her attire and being hidden from him, so just as quickly he removed the clothing from her body by simply shredding it and tying the rope around her wrists together behind her back. She jerked around and tried to get away from him but he simply kicked her feet and she started to topple over but he caught her by her arm and lowered her to the ground and tied the leftover rope around her ankles so they were as well bound. He looked down at his professional work and smirked at how well she was bound. She simply lied on her stomach with her head to the side, her wrists tied behind her back that connected to the tied feet there were up slightly. He would enjoy this immensely; time to teach her manners.

"How do you address me?" he circled around her to continue to stare at his work and each angle was just as great as the last.

Kagome glared up at him and kept her mouth shut as he disappeared from her view then reappeared as he circled around her. Knowing that her screams and pleas were futile, she chose the silent treatment on him and hoped that he would give up.

Sesshomaru knelt down and grabbed her chin with his forefinger and thumb to make her head lift just a little and look at him directly. More bile rose in her throat as she looked at the beastly face and saw him for what he truly was. His thin lips pulled back as if he was snarling but she knew that he was smiling in a cruel way. "You make this harder on yourself." He whispered. How was it that with his snout and lack of human in his face that he was able to speak normally?

She continued to glare at him and felt tears spring to her eyes as they continue to have a staring contest. How much longer could she keep staring at him and not break apart and lose her mind? Before she busted into tears, he released her chin and knelt down by her ass and looked over at her face, they both locked eyes for a few seconds then she looked away and closed her eyes. His lips curled back in a silent snarl and started to spank her once again and from the screams she released, he knew it did not feel good on her already sore cheeks. "Answer me." He growled and gave her another hard blow.

Kagome bit her lip hard and tried not to scream as he continued spank her and she was sure that she would break from the brutal force he used. She squirmed and released a cry as he hit one spot then went higher, then to the side, then down then back to the other side. It quickly became a pattern so he did not miss a spot and each spot was tender and felt like the flesh would melt right off. "I could continue this all night." He said smoothly then gave her another blow.

It continued for a few more minutes and when he stopped she felt like she could breathe. She let out a shaky breath and felt her entire body shake from the adrenaline and fear. He spread her thighs more and once again rubbed her wet folds and silently mocked her that she was once again being aroused by his ministrations. How could her body be so traitorous and find what he was doing appealing in any way? She let out a long moan as he stuck a long digit in her core and pushed until he couldn't push any more, he then proceeded to turn his finger in a large circle and made sure every wall was being stroked against and sent heat flaring through her body.

"Hn," he hummed softly and started to pull his finger slowly out then push it back in hard and repeated the motion.

Kagome held her breath and closed her eyes as he assaulted her and found a new weakness that could possibly make her want to give in. She chanted inside her head to be strong and not to give in and give him what he wants to hear. Her body had other thoughts on that matter and reflexively her hips jerked and tried to push back against his hand as more of her nectar spilled out of her and coat his hand with her desire.

"How do you address this Sesshomaru?" he said in a deep voice and purred as her walls throbbed against his lonesome digit. His finger had not been buried in her long and yet she was on the brink of her end. He continued to thrust his finger inside of her until she was closer to the edge of her orgasm then quickly retreated and pulled his finger out to look at the sticky evidence on his finger.

Kagome opened her eyes released heavy pants as she watched Sesshomaru stare at her and put the wet finger into his mouth and suckle. He left her wanton and hurting from the lack of release. Heat rushed up her body and shaded her face a nice red as she started to lose control. How cruel it was to leave her wanting and near the pleasurable end and then stop. She narrowed her eyes at him then shut them so she couldn't look at his face. She knew what he was trying to do and slowly but surely it was working and it irritated her; she will not let him win.  
>A gasp escaped her as she once again felt her hair being pulled and her body being lifted up then turned so she was facing Sesshomaru who now had his pants down and she was staring face to face with a much larger and red cock. She reared back and tried to get away and shake her head as he snarled at her and pushed her forward so she was closer to his desire.<p>

"You will swallow me whole." His voice went from being smooth and silky to rough and guttural.

She looked up to his feral face and glared up at him, oh how she wanted to give him a tongue lashing- not the way he was trying to make her do- but she did not want to give him what he wanted. She will not address him in the way he wished her to.  
>Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and squeezed tighter onto the back of her head and thrusted his hips so the tip of his cock press against her pressed together lips. "Open."<p>

She shook her head and turned her cheek so the hot member pressed against her cheek and rubbed. She could feel the hot bead of pre-cum smear against her cheek and rub along his shaft. He growled and pulled her head back around and tilt her head back so he could force his way into her oral cavern. "Shall I go to your home town and slaughter your family and friends?" he growled. "Or have you forgotten what we have agreed upon your arrival here?"

Her blue eyes widened and she stared up at him shocked and opened her mouth to yell at him but was muffled when he shoved his large organ in and choked her. She gagged and tears streamed down her face as he inch by inch pushed more in until she felt her nose press against his pelvis and his ball sac dangled against her chin. "You will know who your master is. You will please this Sesshomaru and do anything that I say. Now suck." He ordered in a growl and started to move his hips so he was fucking her mouth.

Kagome coughed and gagged on his girth and balled her hands into fists and tugged her arms but only in the end get hurt from the awkward position she was in. She squeezed her eyes shut and simply let him fuck her mouth. Her jaw was already killing her and the pressure of his thrusts was making her neck ache.

Growling and grunting came from above her as he continued to thrust hips and sounded his pleasure. She tried to stare up at him and watch the distorted face become even more distorted with the pleasure that she was giving him but as he met pushed in the white pubic hair that was strangely soft blinded her and thus made her close her eyes then reopen. She knew that from this as well, she had become even wetter and could not help the throbbing from her clit and the inner walls from her arousal. She knew he could smell it and sense it, which egged him on even more and place both hands behind her head and motion for her to come forward as he pushed in. She gagged and squeezed her eyes shut as he shoved his length further down in her throat.

Soon, his end came and he thrusted faster and wildly as his milky seed pulsed out and spilled down her throat. He pulled half way out and allowed more of his semen to fill her mouth. She coughed and sputtered with his cock still in her mouth as she choked on the amount semen he released. "Swallow." He ordered roughly.

She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed as much as she could and continued to do so until it was all gone. Against her better judgment and will, she started to swipe her tongue across the mushroomed head to lick away more of the semen and heard a loud moan come from above her. She quickly pulled away and turned her head so she was not looking at him and glared down at the stone floor.  
>Sesshomaru panted and knelt down and grabbed a fistful of her long raven locks and tilted her head back to him so she was face to face with him, "What do you say?" he growled.<p>

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him and feeling a little confidence surge through her she opened her mouth, "You are disgusting, beast."

He snarled and pushed her down so she fell on her back in an awkward position. Pain shot through her arms and legs as her weight was pressed against her bounded arms and legs. He quickly turned her over and released her arms and long only to pick her up and lift her arms so her wrists were once again cuffed and her feet dangled. She groaned and kicked her feet to hit him but he came in front of her and had her wrap her legs around his hips and met her entrance with his still engorged member. "I want you to look upon this face as I fuck you." He growled.

Kagome screamed as he shoved inside of her, spreading her further than he had before. He was much larger than before and stretched her beyond her limit and didn't take the time to allow her to adjust to his length. He growled started to retreat then slam back into her. His claws went around her and cupped her tender ass cheeks to hold her in place as he continued to slam his hips against hers.

His breath was putrid and looking upon his face as he tore into her made her feel filthy. She continued to scream and leaned her head back so she didn't have to look at him. He released a hand from her ass and held onto the back of her head so they were staring into each other's eyes. This man-beast, she did not know. Sesshomaru had been beautiful and soon had become tender with her, what had happened to where they were at that moment? What had she done to deserve such treatment?

Once again her body betrayed her and produced more nectar as he rubbed against her tender spots and hit a spot within her body that made her toes curl and a pleasurable cry release from her. He snarled in her face and pounded harder against the spot and when she was close and felt there was no return, he stopped and scratched at her ass to bring her pain.

"Call this Sesshomaru your master and I might be forgiving and allow you pleasure." He growled and stared into her blue eyes with his red ones.

Kagome panted and groaned as he continued to slash at her ass and stayed stock still inside her. She had two choices, call him what he wanted and finally have her sweet release or be stubborn as a mule and have him finish so she could later pleasure herself and finish what he had started. She chose the latter. She glared at him and spit in his face as her answer. He snarled in outrage and gripped with both hands onto her ass cheeks and started to pump his hips against hers to the point where she felt like one wrong move on his part and he would break her. Quickly, he came to his end and released his seed deep within her then pulled out and watched as his seed started to spill out of her slowly.

He looked back up at her face and narrowed his eyes, "What is to come, you brought this upon yourself." He panted out and pulled his pants up and turned so he went back to the entrance of the cell, bent down and picked up the whip. She knew he hadn't left as his footsteps didn't sound further away. In fact they had stopped.

She breathed hard and turned her head to see if he was there but screamed out in pain as she heard a crack and felt white hot pain across her back. She turned her head and ducked her head down as he continued to whip her and demanded that she submit to him. So, they were back to square one but things were a little different this time around. She was or at least thought she was in love with Sesshomaru until he snapped and started to torture her. But deep down she knew there was still feelings for him otherwise her body wouldn't have been so traitorous against her and show her desire for him.  
>A scream erupted from her as the white hot pain hit her on the already tender ass and made her curl and writhe. She felt the mixture of his and her desire slip down her thigh and the fumes of their mingling scents and sex filled her with such a dizzy high. What possessed her to think that he would have released her so that she can pleasure herself later when he was gone?<p>

Panic and regret filled her as she knew what she was about to do. She couldn't stop herself and she wanted the pain to stop and her body to stop being a traitor. "Master Sesshomaru!" she screamed. The scream echoed through the entire floor and filled her head with what she had done. She had given up and it did not take her long. Her head slumped down in shame as he stopped whipping her and left the cell, probably for her to self-reflect. She had given in and done what she originally did not want to do. She would have rather been beaten and killed than have to deal with this mind trickery.

Footsteps echoed through the floor as he retreated and left her on her own. She let out a shaky breath and squeezed her thighs together painfully as the arousal had not died away but rather continued. She reminded herself of her brother who was now back at home and healthy rather than decaying in the same exact cell and she and her family at home mourning for their loss. She smiled a little to herself and was filled with a little more confidence and strength. She would go through all of this for her little brother, perhaps one day the warlord would grow tired of her as she grew older and wither and not suffice his needs.

That will be day she looked forward to.

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Until next time! Leave loves. :)

Edit: Sadly, I will have to disable anons to leave reviews, simply for the fact that should you leave a review I would like to respond. People have their own preference of stories and sometimes some are not their own cup of tea. But in my summary of this story it simply states that it's dark and twisted. I'm a dark and twisted gal. Yes this story has taken a different turn on things and I'm sorry if that displeases you but I went with my gut and changed things around. What is a most reoccurring comment is the simple fact of Kagome being raped and tortured and enjoying it. Yeah, in real life no one would like it if that were to happen to them, but because this is a fiction and I have a twisted mind (and like to push limits as I have stated above), I am going to write it differently. This story was mainly supposed to be BDSM in a Beauty and The Beast theme. There is no telling IF the story will have a happy ending, which goes back to the whole 'dark' theme. So I would like to apologize only to the simple fact that if some readers got this confused with a 'she gets tortured and forgets about it and falls in love with him' kind of story. ALSO, in the last chapter if some of you haven't caught on at the end of it (and will be explained in later chapters) that Sesshomaru has a curse and there will be repercussions should he try to 'cheat' - hence loosing his mind and becoming more beast than man like what he was before.

So, again I apologize for taking away the anon ability to comment. You will have to be logged in to leave a LOVELY review and I will be able to get back to you. Happy reading. XO


	20. The Curse

A/N: Here is the next chapter. Yay. I hope this answers some questions that you all had. Leave some loves. :)

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><p>Chapter Twenty<p>

_The Curse_

Sweat trickled its way down the warlord's forehead and tracked its way down his sharp nose then dripped off the tip and fell into the blood soaked snow. Soft pants escaped the being as he tried to catch his breath from the fight that had ended mere seconds ago; his sharp golden eyes looked around his surroundings for any movements of enemies. There were no signs of enemy and the group of his med that had survived were readying for the trip to the next village. He knelt down in the red snow and held onto his sword hilt, the blade buried deep into the snow and frozen ground. His long silver hair flowed around him; some was matted against his neck from the sweat. It had been a while since an army had tried to invade his lands and attack the surrounding villages that he had sworn to protect in the western lands. He would normally say that any attacks made on him were to be expected, but this time and shockingly enough, it was unexpected and he had to react rather than make plans that would surly prevent him and his own army to be harmed. He was a strategic being and throughout plans carefully; but the Northern tribe had snuck out in the night like thieves and had attacked and left him in shock. He did not ever get word that they would attack, but rather he heard the screams of the villagers and the bell that rung in their haste and desperation. How he hated the unexpected.  
>He had taken a few wounds and lost many warriors to the greedy Northern tribe that had silently tracked their way to the Western land and invaded the villages, some were burnt down and most inhabitants were killed. His fist clenched more around the sword hilt in his anger and frustration that he did not see the attack happening. In his moment of weakness and mourn, he hung his head low and swore that he would never let anything like what had happened to ever repeat itself, even if that must mean he lose sleep and always be on guard. It was his mistake to be a little complacent and too full of himself to think that anyone would attack on his soil. He had misjudged humans and their sneakiness… they were like rats to him. But the good villages around him grew on him and he never wanted harm to be done to them. It was an equal trade for him with them, he would protect them and give them whatever it was the needed and they in the end would give him food and food from their crops and if their strong young men wished to be a part of his army, then he would allow it and train them hard.<p>

Carefully he stood from his spot and forgot about the pain in his back where he had been stabbed; his armor had failed to protect his back where he had been attacked from behind as he fought with a northerner. There were more warriors out there and if he didn't move fast enough, they would attack the next village. He pulled his sword out of the snow and flung it through the air, a hum from the blade could be heard as it cut through the air to rid of the snow and blood, he then carefully placed it in its sheath. His heavy footsteps sunk into the deep snow as he made his way over the dead warriors to his stead. A few of the warriors he stepped on, he hated them and he crushed their skulls with a sound _crunch_ as he stepped on them in his distaste.  
>His black stead stood in the middle of the carnage and thankfully was unscathed; it was clad in its own armor and had a heavy wolf pelt wrapped under the saddle to keep it warm from the blizzard. Sesshomaru climbed atop of his stead and kicked it with a little hiss as he rushed to the next village that was miles away. What was left over of his army, they followed closely behind him with their own steads.<p>

It had been a mistake on his part to not think ahead and head to the village where the leader and the majority of the soldiers of the Northern tribe were wreaking havoc on more of his own villagers. Instead, he had been a step behind and fought the decoy and fell into their trap and nearly lost his life. Never again will he make that mistake. Excitement coursed through his veins as he made his way to the next village; the thrill of the hunt and carnage of others made him excited. It had been long since he had a war waged against him and even though he had lost many villagers that he sworn to protect, the demonic side of him howled with excitement and saw nothing but red. The carnage of the good villagers had been long forgotten and will be avenged for their wrongful deaths but now he smirked as he planned out how he was going to kill the rest of the army.  
>Oh it had been a long time since he had a good challenge, especially from a human. He was unsure if he should keep their heads as a prize for defeating them and actually throwing him off his game as quickly as they had done. His smirk grew into a smile as he stared straight ahead of him through the white forest; the stench of the humans filled his sensitive nostrils and made his blood pump faster through his body from his adrenaline rush. They had no idea what was coming for them and it tickled him that they were now up for a surprise and to see the look on their faces would be priceless. Yes, he shall keep their heads as a token of having his vengeance and a bravo for them stumping him.<p>

"Look ahead, you can see the flames of the next village." A soldier spoke softly, but Sesshomaru's sensitive ears heard his mumble.

Sesshomaru kicked his horse harder to make it push harder and run faster. The screams of the villagers filled his eardrums as well as the flames that burned down the homes of the inhabitants. Oh, these humans were good! The inner beast chuckled and stretched out and filled Sesshomaru with more of the demonic aura that made his eyes burn from the bleeding red that spread. _There is no need to use this beast to make it to the village. Use your powers._ It whispered in a low growl.  
>Sesshomaru turned his head to look over at his warriors that held a serious face but behind it he could see them cowering and fearing if they were going to die next. Just as quickly, he turned back and looked at the white forest as his stead continued to push itself to run faster through the maze of the trees.<p>

"Keep making your way to the village. I will be there." The warlord growled out his orders then flung off the horse.

"Yes milord." They called with fear in their voices.

"I will be expecting you. Traitors will be persecuted!" he shouted then used his inhuman speed to make his way to the next village. Very rarely did he use his demonic powers to make his way to the villages; it scared the humans and he wished for them not the fear him like that. But in a situation they were in, he had to use his powers. In the past he did not care for humans and did not care if they were scared of him, in fact he loved that he brought fear to everything around him, but because of his promise he did not wish for them to gang up against him and try to persecute him in his own solitary.

It only took a few minutes to make it to the burning village and could see women running screaming, some were holding their crying babies. The men of the village fought-poorly- against the invaders and lost their lives to protect the women and children. Sesshomaru stepped through the forest line and watched as a woman ran with her crying baby, a northern warrior came up behind her and penetrated her with his blood soaked sword that went through her like butter and came out on the other end penetrated the crying baby. Gurgles came out of the woman and the crying from the infant ceased; the sword retreated and the warrior turned before the woman fell to her knees then fell forward with the baby still encased in her arms. Sesshomaru stared at the woman, anger washed over him and he glared around the village then made his way to start his fight. A smirk lifted his lips as a warrior spotted him and ran towards him, without a beat Sesshomaru shot his claws out and struck in the middle of the warrior's armor and chest and grasped onto the beating heart and pulled it out. The man gurgled and looked into the red eyes of the warlord with fright.

"Die." Sesshomaru whispered harshly.

The man fell to the ground and Sesshomaru squeezed the bloody organ, poison seeped from his claws and melted the organ and dripped down over the snow. Without missing a beat he rushed over to where a warrior had his pants down and a woman's legs wrapped around his bare hips as he thrusted his hips and took pleasure in the woman as she screamed and wailed. Quickly, he approached the man and grabbed onto his head then snapped it back and pulled his body away from the woman; he quickly snapped the man's neck and moved on.  
>Sesshomaru looked around then moved onto the crowd of northern warriors and without missing a beat he slashed them apart with his claws; the inner beast howled from the ecstasy the carnage and blood brought to them both. More screams from the villagers could be heard and flames overtook most of the village. He whipped his head around when he saw some warriors clad in green make their way towards him, their swords drawn and raised in the air.<p>

"Kill the leader! This land shall be ours!" one cried out.

Sesshomaru smirked and raised his hand and with a flick his acid green whip flicked out, with his superior skills he flicked his wrist with ease and slashed apart the warriors at the same time. Killing seven little humans with one stone; a smile spread across his lips as he watched the already dead humans fall to the ground and soak the snow with their blood. _Oh how we have missed this! Next time let us not wait this long._ The beast snarled out and clawed at the shell of Sesshomaru's body. He would not release the beast unless it was dire, but he allowed it to enjoy the death of the enemies.  
>With a swish, the warlord turned and made his way to the other side of the village where more enemies were wreaking havoc and slaying the villagers. Sesshomaru pulled out his large sword that hummed that any ear could hear. He snarled and picked up his speed until he was running and ran through the crowds of the warriors that had their backs facing him. Rule number one: Never have your back exposed. He tore through their bodies like butter and heard the crunch and slosh as the sharp blade made its way through them; some were cut in half and died a very slow and painful death. One by one he went through the mass of men and sliced them until he stood in the middle of the carnage, his breathing was heavy and his sword soaked with blood.<p>

"Over here!" someone yelled.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side just a fraction but enough to see that the men that approached were his own. Their color had always been red and always will be. He loved the color red, it was the color of blood and it was an obsession of his. He looked back around to see any signs of the leader but could not detect anything out of place. Something was not right and he was not catching it. Could he have fallen into another trap?

"Sire, we sent a team to the next village to be sure there were no more attacks but we did not see any tracks of the enemy heading to the next village. Are they annihilated?" Naomi, the strongest and leader of his army asked as he stepped forth.

"Hn." Sesshomaru still felt unease and knew he was missing something; he looked over at Naomi and narrowed his eyes, "Did you see anyone else?"

Naomi's hazel eyes widened just a fraction and he shook his head, his brown hair waved in the air. "No milord, I have not seen any other enemies. We killed some that were hiding in the forest on our way here." He explained; his voice deep and rich.

Sesshomaru looked back ahead and stepped forward and slowly made his way forward, he felt there was a trap. He believed in his ability to rid of any threats and he had certainly sent a message to the North that he would not accept an invasion of his territory, but there was something in the air that even made his inner beast nervous. He lifted his head in the air and took in a deep breath through his nostrils and pushed aside the smell of blood and already decaying bodies…

There was something among them and hiding. It was powerful and smelt of a woman. He hissed, his eyes flashed red as he whipped his head around and looked around his surroundings for whatever or whoever it was. They were certainly in a trap and once again he had fallen for it. Over the years he felt like he lost something and it was showing now in the battle. Perhaps he should retire and have Naomi who is a strong warrior of his to take charge and allow Sesshomaru to live in peace in his castle… perhaps someday settle down with a woman and sire a child who would be the next leader; but until then it would be Naomi in charge.

"Milord! Someone is approaching!" Naomi's voice broke his thoughts and he looked forward and saw in the smoke of the flames, a figure slowly walked toward the group of men.

Naomi was the first to stand by Sesshomaru's side as the others stood behind them and had their swords drawn and watched as the figure started to become clearer as it neared them. It looked like a figure of a woman. Was this supposed to be the trap? Was he to battle and kill a woman? Sesshomaru did not care and would kill her if it would to save his own life and the people around him. He kept hold of his blade and narrowed his eyes as the figure came through the smoke and revealed a very attractive young woman who had black hair pinned up in a messy pile. Her face was painted white and had black eyeliner and ruby red lips that looked delectable and kissable. She couldn't be human to look that great; he had never met a human woman that looked this… seductive and powerful.

_Clank clank clank clank clank_

Sesshomaru turned his head a little to see that all of his men, even Naomi had dropped their swords in the snow and stared at the woman with wide eyes and mouths open. So she was that powerful enough to bewitch men. He turned is head and glared at the witch and squeezed his claws around the sword hilt that still stayed in his sweaty and bloody palm.

"You can stop there." He growled out.

The woman stopped several feet away from him and smiled gently at him. Her eyes would have normally been a deep brown but it was swirled with crimson. Her kimono that she wore was all white except for around the color and the tails of the sleeves that were a deep green. The color of his enemy; she was on their side. Unknowingly, he growled lowly and raised his sword and pointed the bloody blade at her.

"Name your reason for being here, wench."

She raised her delicate hands, her nails were painted red and her hands looked soft. For a moment he wanted them wrapped around his member and stroking him until he reached bliss. He shook his head and glared at the woman; so she was already trying to bewitch him. She smirked and shrugged her delicate looking shoulders, "I'm simply brought here to take care of the dead men." She cooed.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, "What reason does a witch like you do with the dead?"

She smirked again at him and reached out and ran a tiny finger against the blood soaked blade and gently stroked in a suggestive manner, "What I do is my business. Are you going to put this thing down? I am here not to do harm." She whispered and looked up at Sesshomaru's golden eyes and licked her lips.

He kept the blade pointing at her and watched as she continued to stroke the blade and watch him with her crimson eyes that sent chills through him and made him shake internally. _Do not fall for her trap._ The beast warned and coiled, ready to be released and to snuff out the witch. She was a beauty and he could understand why the North sent a woman like her to him, but he was even stronger and could not so easily be bewitched like his men had been. They were frozen in their place and could do nothing but zone in on the witch and be lost in their fantasies of having their way with her.

She giggled, "I've heard many stories about you. I know that you are strong and very powerful." She cooed, trying to stroke his ego and his Inu pride… which was working. "I am here to join your side. I wish for you take me in as yours and I promise you will not regret that." She continued.

"I have no need for a wench like you."

Her eyes narrowed slightly then went back to the wide innocent look. She pouted out her lips and pulled her fingers away from the bloodied blade and rubbed her fingers together and hummed softly. "Do not be that way, Lord Sesshomaru. Every male has their needs and certainly a man like you have needs and probably had not laid with a woman in such a long time." She cooed.

"Again, I have no need for you. Take the dead and send the message to the leader: This land is protected."

The witch narrowed her eyes again but this time it stayed that way. So there is the true side of the little bitch. He smirked as he finally pushed her small limit and was proud that he was able to see through her trap.

"Do I not appeal to you? Do you not wish to save me from the horrible leader of the Northern land? I wish to get away from there and yet you deny me safety?" she hissed out, her eyes turned darker and deeper.

Sesshomaru thrusted his blade closer to the woman and kept his eyes narrowed and steady on her, his head was swimming and more images of her doing sexual favors for him passed through his mind. He will not be bewitched! "You manipulating my soldiers and I, is in no way begging for help."

She narrowed her eyes even more until they were tiny slits; she stepped back and hissed softly, "Last chance, Lord Sesshomaru. Take me into your care and you will be spared of my wrath." She warned.

Sesshomaru stood in place and kept his blade thrusted forward but no longer touching her, as she had stepped back until there was a foot of space between her and the blade. "Whatever it is you plan to do, I am prepared. I would kill you even if you are a woman. Leave now and your life will be spared." He threw back in a calm voice but his inner beast started to coil more and warn him that she was about to do something. He had never really been around spells and witches, so whatever she had planned to do, he had to think quickly.

The witch let out a scream and her aura flashed around her as she threw her fit. Her eyes widened and she looked up to the sky then narrowed them back down on Sesshomaru as soon as she stopped screaming. "You do not know what you are asking! I know much about you, Lord Sesshomaru!" She screamed out, her long hair fell from the messy bun and whipped around her from the wind that increased around her aura.

Sesshomaru took a step back and noticed that his men snapped out of their fantasies and were looking around then looked back at the witch with a gasp.

"Lord Sesshomaru." One whispered in shock.

Sesshomaru stood still in his place as he watched the bitch throw her fit and warn him the last time. He smirked and knew at that moment he had to make his move and rid of her before she did something to him that he would regret later. He dashed forward then hit a wall that made him sluggish and his movements cease. He panted heavily as he stood in his spot and saw white dots, his golden eyes flashed up to the woman who glared at him.

"You will be cursed to forever be the ugly beast that you are. Never again will you use your looks to seduce women into your bed. Never again will you feel. You must learn to feel again and hope that a woman will love your personality rather than the way you look or feel." The witch pointed her long red painted fingernail at him as she spat out her words. Her demeanor completely changed from when she first approached them. She threw her head back and laughed as shock crossed over the warlord's face and he started to feel himself changing. The inner beast was no longer in a coil but rather started to release itself and his body ached as it changed in the slow process and stopped in-between. No! It cannot be that she had stopped his changing in the middle so he would look…

Her beautiful face became scrunched up and ugly as she glared at the warlord as his looks distorted and groans escaped him as he knelt down in the snow and panted heavily as he became disoriented from the curse. "There will only be _one_ who will break the curse. When you meet her, you will have a short amount of time to woo her and make her fall in love with you. For a beast like you, that will be the hardest thing to do in your long lived life." She laughed and stepped forward and knelt down so her face was close to his, her bright red eyes scanned over his distorted face and amusement flashed in the red depthless eyes of the witch.

Gasps and groans came from his men that must have been forced back and away from him. The bitch put up a barrier between him and the men so they could not disrupt the curse. He should have killed the bitch when he had the chance; instead he had been distracted by her beauty and curiosity. Only a few times had his own army had seen him in his true form and now they see him in the between and will be stuck this way for the rest of his life…  
><em>That is until you find the true love she speaks of.<em>

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the beast's ear, "There will be hardships and traps should you try to cheat." She whispered then stood up from her spot and straightened her kimono and grinned at the pained warlord.

Sesshomaru looked up at the witch and panted heavily, sweat trickled its way down his forehead and his nose as the dizziness he felt continued to spin him around. "You…bitch." He growled out through his elongated fangs.

The witch laughed as she turned around and walked bare footed through the deep snow, she then paused and looked over her shoulder and smirked at the warlord that was still on his knees and looked out of breath, "Your fellow servants are cursed as well. Never will they be able to speak of the curse. Never will they find love. Soon they will turn against you." she turned her head and started to walk again and flicked her wrist, a feather appeared and landed in front of Sesshomaru. "This is a gift, let's say it's a gift of my kindness… this feather will start to singe and burn away as soon as the true love appears in your life. It is up to you now to fix this curse." She laughed as she walked away through the smoke and ashes that surrounded and encompassed around them.

Angered and feeling that he could not fix his current state; he threw things around his main chamber that he slept in. He scratched at wood and the walls and glared at a painting that used to be him; he was once perfect and good looking and now look at him! He was ugly and would never be able to settle down like what he wanted! Never will he be able to find a woman to sire his child and take over his name and title!  
>An angry roar escaped him as he slashed at the painting until he could not see what it used to be. He turned and glared at the feather that sparkled harmlessly in the jar he put around it on the untouched table by the open balcony. He approached it and stood in front of the full length mirror and stared sadly at his reflection and saw the feather's reflection beside him.<p>

He would never be able to show his face to the villagers and would not allow anyone to come to his castle and see his state. The only people that know about the state he was in was the people that were cursed along with him and could not speak of what had happened to them. Rumors already spread about him and people of the villages had been warned to never go his castle or else they would be killed by the beast warlord. After decades of protecting the villages, this was the treatment he got. Pathetic filth.

Exhausted, he closed his red eyes and took in a deep breath then let it out slowly. He would not ever meet his true love, for he will not allow anyone to be in his castle. He would have to learn to be okay with the state that he was in. But for now, he wished to be alone in his solitary and throw his temper tantrum.

Sesshomaru sat in the destroyed bedroom chamber, his back was against the side of the doorway to the balcony, his feet were up against the other side and his knees were against his chest. His red eyes stared at the withering feather; there was barely anything left of the feather but just a few little pieces and the stem. He looked away from the feather and tried to shake out the voice that tried to tell him to torture Kagome further. He leaned his head down and tried to think rationally about this. He had been cursed and been given a feather to show him that his true love had come into his life and that was Kagome, and yet he fell into another trap and was being harassed by some voice telling him and making him believe that she was a traitor. He clenched his fist and growled lowly.  
>How was it that he had been fooled this many times over the span of his lifetime? The rational side of him loved her and would do anything to save her and help her. He would give his life for her. But the irrational side… the trap side had fucked him up and made him torture her and take pleasure out of her misery and suffering. He leaned his head back and breathed in the frosty air from the outside that helped clear his thoughts. He must fight this side and the trap and not be bewitched once again and torture Kagome further.<p>

He could feel the creeping darkness come back to him and he knew it would be soon when he would go back up into the torture chambers and once again have his evil way with her. He did not want to bring her harm, he wanted to protect her… and he was doing the complete opposite. He groaned and felt his breathing hitch as it picked up; his claws clenched on the ground as he forced himself to sit still and not to make his way to the torture chamber where Kagome was still hanging shackled.

He wanted to release her and allow her freedom, to get away from him before it was too late and the darkness spread and took over him fully. He was afraid that if he neared Kagome, he would snap further and never return to the somewhat humanity he still had within himself. This was not the beast, the beast longed for her… in a good way… but the curse dampened and spoiled the trueness to his feelings, rather he scared and tortured the woman.  
>He raped her and he would never be forgiven. He could not face her and see the terror in her eyes and see the faint remaining of her love for him. He knew that she loved him, he knew that look in her eyes because he had seen it in his own. But she had not said the words aloud to him and thus, he was not able to transform back to his normal state and beg forgiveness on his knees to her.<p>

No, he must rid of her and forever be stuck in this form.

He stood up from his spot and watched as a little piece of the feather dropped and singed as it touched the table top. He groaned inwardly and felt a pain shoot straight to his heart. He could not believe he was about to do this, but if he did not do it now… she will never be safe from him. He walked towards the bedroom door and made his way through the maze of the upper level of the castle to find his faithful servant, Miroku.

Finally, after making his way through the castle he came to Miroku who was in the kitchen making tea for himself at this late hour in the night. Miroku stiffened as he felt Sesshomaru's strong aura approach behind him. He turned his head and looked at his master with large eyes.

"Milord." He whispered, more in question but came out in an acknowledgement.

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks and towered over the faithful servant, "Miroku…" he spoke softly but in him he felt the inner coiling of the curse trap coming forth. He did not have long. "I have a favor to ask and you must obey." He could not keep the emotion from his voice.

Miroku stared up at Sesshomaru's beastly face with wide brown eyes, "Yes?"

Feeling weak and exhausted, Sesshomaru let out a heavy sigh and rested a clawed hand down on the counter that was to his left, "You must release Kagome. Heal her words, soothe her… then release her from this castle. Fetch Naomi to take her back to her village. She is released and to stay away from here. I fear I am losing what little there is left of my humanity. I have done wrong to her and there is no way that I will be able to woo her in time before the curse can be broken. I am-"he swallowed his emotion that wobbled his voice, "sorry for not being to do a simple task and to lift the curse." He whispered the last part. It hurt him to apologize to a mere human but he had brought this upon the inhabitants of the castle.

Miroku blinked up at him, shocked crossed over his face and his mouth fell open. "What have you done?" he whispered.

Sesshomaru looked away from the servant and lowered his gaze in a submissive manner. He felt shame and he could not hide it. "I have ruined the trust between her and I. It is too late. Now go, before I snap once again." He nearly snarled out.

Miroku bowed and shuffled his way out of the kitchen to complete his mission. Sesshomaru stood still in his place and fought the voices that begged and taunted him to go find Kagome and to keep her from leaving. He would not allow her to be harmed again, not even by him. He sagged to the floor and leaned his head against his knees and waited until he could not feel her aura anymore. He hoped that she left quickly.


	21. The Curse Broken Part One

So this story is about done. The next chapter will be the last and I will try my hardest to make it super long for you all and maybe one day will make an epilogue. One year and one month later I am about done with this story. So thank you all for being supportive and putting up with me. I love you all and thank you for helping me grow into a better writer and continue to keep growing. :)  
>Sorry for the errors you will find.<p>

Leave some love. 3

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><p>How long had she been shackled in the cell for? Her whole body ached, especially her vaginal area. She didn't think it would be as sore as it was but because of the size he was and how much he had grown and spread her, it was unbearable. She felt so many things towards Sesshomaru at that point. What had made him act this way? Why had he treated her that way? But one thing she knew for sure, he was not the same… something had changed in him and he was acting out of character. Her head hung just a little more as she remembered the vile sight of him; he looked like a beast and acted like one too. She hated him for mistreating her and not at least talking to her but a different side of her tried to fight that and say that something was seriously wrong with him.<br>He had mentioned the curse and everyone in the village and even other villages knew something about a curse but they didn't know much about it and how it started. Could it be that the curse was real and true and that it was somehow affecting him? A small groan escaped her as she tried to move and felt her shoulders pop; she had hung there too long and her feet barely scrapped at the floor. As much as she didn't want to see him and possibly be abused again- the thought of him growling and acting that way made her shiver- she had to see him and wanted to try and talk to him, but something inside of her screamed not to see him.

A door opening and closing and footsteps caught her attention and made her heart race, could it be that Sesshomaru was returning to torture her more? She didn't want to see him yet! She wasn't ready and felt too weak to stand up for herself! Sweat marred her brow and the tickle of the drops on her upper lip made her want to wipe it away. The footsteps continued up the stairs and her heart continued to pound against her chest; she felt like at any moment it could break her chest and pop right out from the speed of it. What would she say to him to make him reasonable? She swore she did nothing to cause this in him! He had been relieved that she had returned from her trip to her village when she could have blown him off and not return at all. He had a feast for her and danced with her for Kami's sake! They even spent a romantic night together showing each other their affections.

_What if that wasn't enough?_

She shook her head and her mouth went dry; that had to be enough to show her affections towards him! If there was truly a curse, would a kiss break it? She knew a little about curses but not a whole lot- she was curious at an early age and learned as much as she could grasp onto- and usually a kiss is what breaks everything… unless this is a different kind of curse. A new level… a stronger and more powerful curse. A gasp escaped her and her eyes widened, that could be it perhaps? He has gotten worse and acted feral and so out of character! The footsteps stopped outside of her cell and a little groan from someone else-obviously not Sesshomaru- was heard.

"Oh Kagome, what has he done to you?" Miroku's voice broke through her thoughts and made her relax and relieved that he was finally here and would release her. She had work to do now that she might know what the problem was!

She tried to speak but her voice was raspy and she didn't have enough energy at that moment to even talk. She heard Miroku step into the cell and grab something he could step on and released her wrists from the shackles above her head. She landed on her feet then wobbled to her knees and panted from just that work. She groaned as her body movements sent more aches through her. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder and rubbed. She looked over her shoulder, all decency forgotten, and looked up at Miroku with wide blue eyes. "I'm okay." She whispered out.

Miroku shook his head and for the first time she saw tears in his eyes and his lower lip wobbled as he looked down at her. What was it that made him all emotional? She said she would be fine!

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked softly and tried to move but wobbled and her limbs refused to move.

He nodded and sniffled and leaned down and picked her up gently; she squirmed in his arms and tried to get out but he hushed her softly and started to carry her out of the cell and down the stairs. It was the first time she had ever seen Miroku silent and it made her worry. She looked up at his face that was set in stone and very serious, too serious for him. A frown started to play on her lips and knitted her black eyebrows together; what in the world was wrong with Miroku? She groaned as he took an awkward step and hurt the cuts on her back from the whipping.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She opened her eyes and looked back up at his face and he continued to stare forward as he walked around the castle and ended up in the hot springs. What was he doing? He wasn't planning anything weird and sexual was he? She shifted uncomfortably but stopped when more pain went through her. He gently set her down in the hot springs and crouched behind her head and placed a hand on her head and patted it gently.

"I will let you soak for a few minutes. I want you to wash yourself with some special concoctions I am about to make." He mumbled then stood up and left the large area and went into the wooden room they came through.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and watched as he disappeared then she looked ahead of her and watched the waterfall, the water gently met the springs and made a soothing noise along with the crickets and sounds of the night. It must be close to the morning, the night wasn't very dark and she knew the sun would be rising soon. She slid down more and leaned her head back against the soft side of the springs. For a moment she was worried for Sesshomaru and thought that something bad might have happened to him; could he have died from the curse? Some tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of him lying on his bed lifeless and will never be there again.  
>A noise made her aware of Miroku's arrival once again and he sat down behind her head and handed her a bottle that smelt really good. It smelled of patchouli, lavender, musk, eucalyptus and other scents that mixed together that she could not put a finger on. He mixed a really great healing solution for her cuts and sore areas. She nodded and grabbed onto the bottle and started to rub the oils and cream on her body and a few seconds later she started to feel a little better by the second.<p>

"Don't lie to me… what is going on?" she whispered as she rubbed her body more.

Miroku sighed heavily and shifted uncomfortably. He was quiet for a few minutes and she was about to prod him again and will not except any nonsense or even no response, but he started to speak.

"Lord Sesshomaru had ordered for you to leave and go back to your village… protected of course." He mumbled.

Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat; she felt two conflicting emotions from the news. First she was excited that she was going back home and would be able to see her family and friends again and stay far away from being abused and beaten again… but then she felt fear and dread of leaving the castle and away from Sesshomaru. She loved him, not much at this point after what he had done, but she loved him. After she had figured out what the curse could be and how she could possibly break it, she did not want to leave and have him and the others suffer. Something was wrong with him and she knew that he would not treat her horribly like he had in his right mind. Granted, when she first arrived, he was mean and cruel and he even whipped her… but when he whipped her, he did not make her bleed like he did during that evening.

"Why?" she asked softly.

He let out another sigh and shifted again, "He is struggling and he wants you safe. I have an idea with what he did to you over the night and how he is feeling the regret… he wants you gone so he would not ever do such a thing again."

She turned her head and looked over at Miroku, he was staring up at the ceiling of the building and looking through the large cracks of the wood and looking up at the early morning sky. A frog's croak broke the heavy silence between the pair. She turned back around and stared back at the waterfall and let out a heavy breath. "I won't go. He mentioned a curse. Can you talk about the curse?"

Silence. She could feel the heaviness of Miroku's aura and how he wanted to talk about it but he couldn't. She smiled a sarcastic smile and closed her eyes and shook her head. Of course he couldn't talk about it. It would be too easy. "I learned about curses when I was younger… it was something interesting at the time. I do remember a lot and know that kisses usually break the curses… but that is not the case with this one." She mumbled and tried to think of what could break the curse. It's usually something so easy, but what?

"Kagome… why do you wish to stay and help?" Miroku asked out with another heavy sigh.

She turned her head and looked back at her friend and smiled a little and closed her eyes as she thought of the better of Sesshomaru. He was so kind and so protective, even now when he had treated her the way he had and suffered… he wished to protect her. She still would be uncomfortable with him and would not let him touch her for a long time, but she loved him. "I love him and I want to help him." She whispered.

She opened her eyes and looked back at Miroku and saw that his eyes were wide and his mouth was open. He stood up quickly and rubbed his hands together, "Kagome! You must- mhmmhmmm." His lips were shut together as he tried to tell her whatever he was trying to say.

Her eyebrows rose and she shot up from the springs and flinched. He was about to tell her something good and something that would have helped her but now his mouth was sealed shut. She watched as he tried to pry his lips open but there was no success to it and never will be unless she breaks the curse. Damn! She got out of the hot springs and attempted to cover her naked body. He looked at her and pointed inside desperately and more muffled words came from him.

"I will find him on my own. Unless he is somewhere special?" she said quickly. She needed to get dressed but she feared she did not have enough time.

He made a gesture as if he were eating and drinking tea. Her eyes widened and she assumed he must mean the kitchen is where he was. She nodded and thanked him as she made her way back inside and grabbed a robe that was by the door. She wrapped herself and quickly made her way through the hallways and came to the kitchen.  
>Sesshomaru sat on the floor in the kitchen with his head leaned up against the table and his eyes closed. Kagome carefully made her way towards him then stopped a foot away from him and watched as his eyes snapped open and flashed red. He was back to looking like a man… other than the red eyes that were flashing like a flame from a candle.<p>

"You wish for me to leave and give up on helping you? Is it because you cannot speak of the curse like Miroku?" she asked him softly and took a step back as he shifted. Her heart raced against her chest and fear swamped her as she thought of the previous evening she spent with him. She did not want to be raped again.

He moved slowly and his claws grasped onto his knees tightly and he turned his head and stared at her with narrowed eyes, "I wished not to see you. Where is that lowly servant of this Sesshomaru?" he rumbled.

She took another step back and held the robe around her tightly so it did not open and expose her body to him. She did not want to set whatever it was inside of him and him turn to a beast once more and have his way again. No she did not want that. "His mouth is stuck shut. I believe he was about to tell me something about how to break the curse."

His eyes narrowed more and a soft growl was coming from his chest. He must be close to breaking again. His eyes were fully red and staying that way. "You were trying to pry? This is none of your concern, woman."

She shook her head and panted, her breathing elevated. "I believe it is my concern… I-"she gulped and tried to force herself to say the words. It would make sense if she did confess her feelings for him. But he could always use them against her and in the end the curse would not be broken. "Sesshomaru I lo-"

He snarled and shot up from his spot and in one blink he was the feral beast that had its way with her. She screamed and backed away more and looked up in the beastly eyes as he backed her up against the wall and placed his hands next to her head on the wall. "I tried to save you! Why couldn't you follow orders and just LEAVE!?" he roared out and more growls came from him.


	22. The Curse Broken Part Two

AGH! I'm finally done with this story! Thank goodness! It has been a year when I started this and kept going back and fixing it up. I'm sure soon I will miss it and want to go back through and fix everything and maybe add more. Keep a look out for that- I will post updates about it on the other sight I'm on as well (message me for the link). I thank you all for being supportive and great with leaving reviews and rooting me on. I left the ending of this with a very open ending and anything can really happen... it's a semi happy ending but of course there will be conflicting emotions with it. Sorry to all if I disappoint and if you don't agree with how I ended it. :( There will be an epilogue who knows when. Sequel is an 'ehhhh maybe... maybe not.' I need to work on all my other stories and finish those up before I start back on this large story. ANYWAYS, thank you and leave loves. LOTS of love. :3

As promised... LONG chapter.

The Bard

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><p>Chapter Twenty Two<p>

The Curse Broken Part Two

He snarled and shot up from his spot and in one blink he was the feral beast that had its way with her. She screamed and backed away more and looked up in the beastly eyes as he backed her up against the wall and placed his hands next to her head on the wall. "I tried to save you! Why couldn't you follow orders and just LEAVE!?" he roared out and more growls came from him.

Kagome turned her head and breathed harder as he got closer to her face and snarled more as he waited for her response. How kind of him to at least give her a chance to talk, but because of her nerves and scared that he would harm her again and the high emotion, she could not even speak. A soft cry escaped her as she started to feel hopeless and the fear build more inside of her and eventually just bubbled out in her crying.  
>Sesshomaru snarled and grasped onto her chin with his claws, a sharp nail dug into the skin of her cheek and pierced it and some blood dripped down. He leaned in and nuzzled her ear with his muzzle and his tongue came out and started to lick along the shell of her ear and down her jaw. She cried more as the fear made her shake and she was afraid he would do the same things he did to her again. Not again!<p>

Hastily, Sesshomaru backed away with a roar and was back to the perfect image of a man he was not even a few minutes ago. She gasped and breathed hard as she stood there stuck from her fear, she watched him with wide frightened blue eyes. He looked up at her and panted hard.

"Leave now, unless you wish to be violated again." He rasped out.

She shook her head and sniffled and tried to gain enough courage to at least speak. "I can't leave you. Something is wrong and I know much of curses. That is why I keep asking you of the curse!" she said frustrated.

He shook his head grabbed onto her hand and watched as she flinched and tried to get away from him. He just simply pulled her away from her spot and rushed her out of the kitchen and back into the main hall, she thought for a moment he was going to throw her outside but he simply ascended the staircase and led her through the maze silently and into the room she had once been in and been punished for. She watched as he released her hand and approached the untouched wooden table with the once perfect feather that was now a wilting stem with one last piece of feather that was dangling and holding for its life.

"Even if you know much of curses, it is too late. I am too far gone and have messed up." He whispered roughly and placed gentle hands around the case that held the feather. He turned his head to look at the full length mirror then looked away and back down at the feather.

She pouted out her lip a little and was going to approach him but thought against it. She did not want to be too close to him and have the high chance of him snapping again and scaring her. She held onto the robe and shook in her spot where she stood. "It's never too late. What did the witch tell you?" she asked softly; adrenaline pumped through her veins and filled her with more energy than she originally had before.

Sesshomaru was silent for a while but then let out a little sigh and turned his head slightly so he was looking at her from the corner of his eye over his shoulder, "I was at war with the Northern lands. They tried to overtake my land and devastated the villages; your village was one of them. I am and was the protector, so as my duty I went and defeated them. But I did not expect another trap and I fell for it." He explained softly then turned his head and looked back down at the burning feather. He did not have much more time.

"The witch wanted me to take her back with me and make her mine. I refused so she laid this curse on me and the people who lived with me. The villages shunned me and made me out to be the enemy rather than the hero." He stroked the glass jar as he spoke softly.

She frowned as he told her the story. He was wasting time by telling her the story but he did intrigue her as he spoke. She never would have thought of him being the well-loved warrior that kept the villages safe. Why hadn't he done so the past decades? Guilt washed through her as she thought of how he must have felt through all that time and being shunned for trying to save everyone; rumors were terrible and she would make sure that whenever she returned home… the true story would be revealed. "What did the witch tell you?" she asked again.

He turned and faced her fully, his eyes shone a light pink and his lips were pulled back in a little snarl. "What she said does not matter. It is too late. Now GO!" he roared out.

She shook her head and balled up her fists and stood her ground as she glared back at the warlord; even now he was trying to save her life and a little part of her wanted to give up and run away. But she would not be like the people of her village and shun the man who had saved them all! "NO!" she yelled back.

He took an intimidating step towards her then stopped as she flinched and took a timid step back. His lips pulled into a little smirk but his eyes flashed with hurt then anger. "Even now you flinch away from my presence. I have done you wrong and there is no other way of showing you my sincere apology… you must go so for that I would feel a little better." He spoke softly.

Tears came to her eyes and her chin wobbled as she started to feel sadness for him. She wanted to help him and if she confessed her true feelings for him… rather than try to show him like what she did when they made love, perhaps it will break the curse. She took in a shaky breath, "Sesshomaru, I lo-"once again she was interrupted.

Even as he was trying to fight the beastly side of him, he heard a commotion from the outside. He whipped around and looked outside the balcony and saw a large crowd of people, Kagome's people from the village, outside of the castle with fire, pitchforks and all. He growled lowly and turned his head and looked at Kagome who stood there still shaking. "Leave now. Your people are here." He said gently then looked back outside.

"What?" she asked softly and was about to approach but when he shifted, he heard her stop. Of course she would stop… that was his intention. She was uncomfortable around him and that was his entire fault. He did not want the woman whom he loved to never want to be close to him but his true love was scared of him and will be away from him forever. Such a pity.

"Leave with your villagers." He whispered then left the room to outside and climbed along the side of the castle and came to the one of the roofs and watched as they tried to plummet the door down with a large log. He snarled and roared to gain their attention, which worked. Everyone stopped and looked up, they all had wide eyes and mouths agape. Some covered their mouths and gasped as they looked upon his beastly form.

"Kill the beast!" a man yelled out and raised his torch up into the air.

Everyone around him cheered and lifted their hands in the air and once again they tried to break down the front door to get inside the castle. He narrowed his eyes and watched as one male who looked to be strong was still watching Sesshomaru and started to separate away from the crowd and looked around for a way to reach Sesshomaru. How stunning that a human male would separate away from the crowd and try to defeat the warlord. He smirked and turned away from the roof and made his way back into the room and saw that Kagome was gone. Good.  
>He made his way out of the room and went to his moved chambers and grabbed is armor and his red cape. It was time to battle again and it thrilled him as well as the beast; they had not had a battle in such a long time that it excited them both and want to protect what was theirs… even though they would not be able to keep the woman they loved.<p>

After preparing for having to protect the people that lived in the castle, he made his way through the castle and went to the top of the stairs and watched as some of the habitants of the castle ran through scared and trying to gather their loved ones. Miroku caught his eye as he was about to approach the door that was bending in and about to break.

"Miroku, flee with the others." He said in a booming authoritative voice.

Miroku turned, his lips were sealed and it looked disgusting. That was what Kagome had seen? Pity and regret went through him as he watched his longtime friend and servant having to reap for Sesshomaru's own mistakes.

"Find Kagome, keep her safe and give her to the people of the village... hopefully they should leave once she is with them." They wouldn't leave until he was dead but saying differently to Miroku will give him some peace.

Miroku bowed to show that he understood then he quickly left the lobby area and Sesshomaru to his self as he waited for the door to break open. As soon as it did, cold air whipped into the warm castle and blew his red cape around him. The people started to swarm inside the castle then stop as they saw the warlord standing on the staircase glaring daggers down at them.

"Beast! You shall die on this day!" one yelled and glared right back at him.

Sesshomaru smirked and stared at them waiting for them to take the move. "Do as you must, but this Sesshomaru shall not die. You seek the woman do you not? She is safe."

He would try to negotiate with them, but they held so much hatred for him in their eyes that he knew they would not want to do it the easy way and save their own lives. He watched as they started to move closer and then start to charge and go up the staircase; Sesshomaru easily avoided them and punched a few and knocked them down the staircase.  
>He was not expecting this, it could be his old age… even though he looked young, or it could be the fact that he hadn't battled in such a long time but a sword came down and hit him in the shoulder of his armor. He growled and turned and saw a man with dark hair in a high pony tail and a snarl on his face. Sesshomaru growled more and grabbed his own sword and flinched away and started to back away.<p>

"You will not keep my woman!" The man yelled out.

His woman? _His_ woman?! Had Kagome been engaged or married before she had come to his castle? She was pure when he had lain with her, so the man had not spoiled her. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed on the man and the other people tried to attack him but with a simple side punch or elbow they went flying. Weak. They were all weak. But now he had a good opponent and he felt excited. "Kagome was not yours." Sesshomaru snarled out.

"She wasn't yours either. She will be mine. Tell me beast, did you spoil her purity? She will be cleansed when she returns then she shall marry me, Kouga." He declared.

Sesshomaru glared daggers at the male and felt an inner rage swarm through him. He did not wish for his woman to go and marry someone else; she is his only but with him wanting to protect her from himself… she must leave. He snarled with rage and the demon and beast within him started to come out, he attacked first.

Their swords met with a loud clank and they backed off and circled each other on the landing of the stairs. "Where is Kagome?" Kouga yelled out.

"She is safe. I did not wish for her to be attacked by her own people." He answered calmly.

He did not wish to fight, why should he fight? This Kouga seemed like a terrible person and he wished that he be the bringer of death to him, but if Kagome were to be happy he wanted someone for her. His face distorted more from a snarl and he backed away from the male who continued to approach to keep close to him to attack.

"Why do you back away beast? Do you not wish for death?" Kouga smirked and went in with an attack.

Sesshomaru reacted and met his sword with his own blocking the blow. Kouga was strong. Was he a demon as well? Sesshomaru took in a deep breath of air and the stench of the human went through his nostrils. No he was not demon, but he could not be fully human. Sesshomaru's face twitched as Kouga made it seem like Sesshomaru was being a coward and not wanting to fight.

"I am sparing your life, human… or should I say human?" he said softly and watched the man's face carefully.

Kouga did not react the way he wanted him to. In fact he did not even show any signs of acknowledging his question and suspicion.

"I'm not beast. Now die!" Kouga yelled out and ran forward with his sword raised- which was a very amateur move.

Sesshomaru did not wish to leave the battle with his tail between his legs but he did not want to kill anyone. He spared everyone else their lives by knocking them away or knocking them out, he would do the same to this idiot human. He turned and swept up the rest of the stairs and made his way back to his chamber that was destroyed.  
>Where was Kagome? Was she safe?<p>

Sesshomaru put down his sword against the wall and stared down at the burning feather. He did not have much longer now before the last little piece would burn down on the table and he would be forever a beast. He leaned his head down and grabbed onto the table gently and felt some emotion bubble in his chest. He would not cry, he promised himself long ago that he would not take pity on himself… but rather he felt more pity for Miroku. He would never be able to speak again.

Kagome looked around at all the servants she had not seen as she stayed there flying by her and weeping from the intruders as they tried to break down the door. Kagome made it to her room and changed into some more comfortable clothes and put on some boots. She made her way out of the room and down the hall when she felt someone grab onto her arm. She turned and saw Miroku, his sealed lips made her jump but she then melted and wrapped her arms around Miroku. It seemed things were starting to heat up and he wanted her to follow him.

"Will he be okay?" she asked softly.

She did not want to leave but she had a feeling that she was going to have to go back with her people as Sesshomaru had requested.

Miroku gave her a tight squeeze then pulled away and nodded once and started to walk the opposite direction of where she wanted to head, towards the staircase where a lot of the commotion was coming from. Conflicted with what she should do and if she should find Sesshomaru and break the curse, she instead turned and followed Miroku. She will have to find Sesshomaru at some point, very soon, and break it and he will be free as well as Miroku and the others.  
>She followed behind Miroku as he weaved around the halls then stopped in front of a large full length picture of Sesshomaru, he pushed a button that was hidden and the picture fell back into the wall and exposed a dark hallway. Kagome's eyes widened and she timidly followed the servant as he silently went into the dark dank hallway; as she entered it was lit by torches in the small hallway and cobwebs could be seen.<p>

"Sango must not come back here to clean huh?" she tried to joke in a situation like this. She needed something funny right now. She felt like her head was spinning and at any given point she would pass out.

She heard a muffling and a chuckle. A smile spread across her lips as she heard his laughter; thank goodness he could at least laugh, even though it came from his nose and it sounded strange. She followed Miroku through the dim-lit secret passageway, occasionally they would turn and keep going and it felt like a long time they walked and went down stairs then up more stairs and so on.  
>The pair finally made it to a halt and was on the side of the castle and went outside in the freezing cold, the wind whipped and lashed at the both of them as they hauled across the land to the stable where the horses were. Miroku opened the gate then closed it behind Kagome as she stepped in shivering. She turned her head and watched as he started to light a torch and motioned for her to step over and stand by the heat of the fire. She figured he did not want to light a bigger fire just in case of them being found by the light of the fire.<p>

"Are you hiding me away from the villagers?" she asked curiously.

He looked at her a little irritated; he can't talk. She pouted and looked away not wanting to stare at the gruesome look of Miroku's sealed lips. She looked back up and saw him nodding to her question and she let out a little huff then relaxed a little. At least Miroku is on her side with wanting to break the spell… but she had to be by Sesshomaru for him to hear her confession and the words to break the curse.

"I have to go back in there and find him." She mumbled and stared down at her hands and watched as the heated blood turned her hands back to a nice shade of pink rather than the sickly looking pale she had while outside in the cold.

Silence and a shuffle.

She looked up and watched as he sat down on some hay with the torch and he stared into the flame. She followed him and knelt down so she was face to face with him and looked in his deep brown eyes that swirled with mixed emotions. She smiled a little and patted his shoulder.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you. It's my fault."

He looked up at her with sad eyes and shook his head then reached out and patted her arm. She knew it was his silent way of telling her that it wasn't, but they both knew that she had tried to pry it out of him and when he realized she said the words he was about to spill the truth out and in the end got his lips sealed. She huffed and stood up straight and felt more courage fill her by the second.

"I might not stay after I tell him… after all that he had done, I don't think I could forgive him. But to release him and everyone here from the curse will be a parting gift." She said sternly then looked down at Miroku with a gentle smile.

Silently, he watched her with wide eyes and would have smiled if he could. But all he did was nod once and shooed her away with the motions of his hands. She smiled and turned away from him and left the shed and once again was outside in the freezing cold. She tried the door they came out of but it would not open.

"One way door." She mumbled irritated and shivered more that made her teeth chatter.

Just as hastily, she made her way around the castle to the front and went through the broken down doors and saw the left over chaos that had happened. People she knew were lying on the ground unconscious or were just about to wake up. She quickly made her way up the stairs and followed the beaten and torn down objects and scratches along the wall. She had to make it Sesshomaru before it was too late.

Sesshomaru stood in the cold room and stared down at the glass jar and watched as the least little piece of the feather was about to break off. This was it. He was going to forever be the ugly beast that he was and never have a chance of finding someone. He knew that Kagome would never forgive him and she would never want to be around him after this, so he figured he would just live in solitude… even though it hurt him to the core that he would be separated from his true love. He looked up from the class jar and looked outside to the morning sky that tinted the sky with pinks, blues, and even greens. He smiled gently and closed his eyes as he thought of how those colors were Kagome's. Her eyes were deep blue just like the ocean and even the sky; her cheeks rarely were never shaded pink from a blush and the color green always suited her-even though the green was the color of the Northern land and his enemy… he did not care.  
>It had come to the point where the villages around him were backlashing and wanting his death; he could not leave his castle… he was forever bound to it and could never leave. Not just because of the way he looks but also because of the curse. He had tried to leave the castle before and just ended up hitting a barrier and had to turn around with his tail between his legs. How pitiful it was that the warrior to protect the surrounding villages could not even go out and make sure everything was okay or to defend them when they had been attacked over the time he had been bound.<p>

As soon as he heard the noise, it was too late. He roared with pain as a sword struck in the middle of his back and exited through his chest cavity. Blood spewed to his lips and he looked down at the blood blade as it was stuck there for a few seconds then it retreated. He wobbled but turned and saw Kouga standing there with a smirk on his lips as he watched the beast tremble from the pain and fear of losing his pitiful life.

"I will be the savior of the villages, for I have slain the beast!" he roared excited then kicked his foot out and smashed Sesshomaru against the wooden table, knocking the glass jar down and Sesshomaru tumbled and fell to the ground in pain.

Sesshomaru reached to his chest with a trembling hand and covered the gushing wound and tried to catch his breath. The blade had struck a weak spot in him, his main organs were sliced and there was no time for his healing to save his life as he watched Kouga raise his sword and was about to plunge again when a female scream stopped him.

"Stop!"

Kouga did not relax his posture as he turned his head and looked at the woman who had entered the room. Sesshomaru still lie there holding his chest wound and tried to catch a breath but it was all futile. The room around him started to spin and his ears rang. So this is what death felt like. He had killed many people like this and watched them as they suffered before he finished them with the final blow to snuff out their life. How ironic was it that the Lord of the Western lands was going to die like how he killed many of his enemies?

"Don't kill him!" the female screamed; it was muffled but he had a vague idea with whom it was.

"Ka-go-me." He whispered then coughed out more blood and wheezed in a breath then let it out shortly.

"You care for this beast? You have gone mad woman! Leave!" Kouga roared out.

"He had protected me and been kind and forgiving when he didn't have to be." Her voice wobbled as she spoke. Sesshomaru and Kagome both knew that half of what she spoke was a lie. He had not been kind at first. He had not been kind at the end. Only the middle was sweet and too short.

"Leave. Let. Me. Die. In-" Sesshomaru tried to speak and started to spittle out blood and cough from the pain and the blood that filled his lungs. His heart was starting to slow. "Honor." He finished as he caught a breath.

"I will not let you be slain like some beast! I have seen what you are and you are a beautiful man." Kagome yelled out and her soft and clumsy footsteps came towards him but struggled as Kouga grasped onto her and threw her in the opposite direction.

"You will leave and I will take care of you when I get back to the village with this beast's head!"

Sesshomaru opened his eyes halfway and looked at the blurry images of Kouga and Kagome. Kagome was laying on the ground looking at Sesshomaru shocked and Kouga staring down at him with a mad look. Sesshomaru felt a rage inside of him as he thought of Kouga having his way with _his_ Kagome. If he were to die, he would be sure to bring Kouga with him. To hell with letting Kouga having her!  
>Sesshomaru shot up with the last bit of energy he had and growled out in pain and grabbed onto the sword blade as Kouga gasped and tried to strike him once more. Sesshomaru roared with rage and struck his claws through Kouga's chest and grasped onto his heart and just as quickly pulled it out and watched as the man fell to his knees then on the ground with lifeless eyes and a last breath spilled out of his lungs.<p>

Sesshomaru let go of the bloody heart and fell to his knees and spit up more blood and panted. He looked at Kagome who was still lying on the ground and watching with a shocked face. Sesshomaru smiled gently towards her then looked over at the glass shards and the last bit of the feather as it sparkled and started to burn away.

"It is too late." He whispered as he fell to the ground face first.

Kagome scrambled to her hands and knees and crawled over to Sesshomaru's side and turned him around and saw his eyes closed and blood smeared and stained over his face. He was the beastly creature she had seen when he had abused and raped her. She felt a lump of emotion and fright in her throat as she shook and remembered the things that were done to her. She wanted to save him and to save the people in this castle. Quickly, she looked over at the used to be feather then back at Sesshomaru felt tears in her eyes.  
>It struck her. If she were to say she loved him, then that must mean that this curse was for the true love and to find each other. So he was her true love and sadly she hated him just a little for him mistreating her and abusing her like the way he did. But it couldn't have been all him. She gathered all her courage and took in a deep shaky breath and let out a sob.<p>

"I love you, Sesshomaru. Please don't die." She whispered and leaned her head down and buried her face in his furry neck and held onto his sides as she held onto him. "If you hadn't been so stubborn in the stupid kitchen then I could have said this a long time ago!" She punched his side in her frustration.

She was frustrated with herself; she had conflicting emotions for this man! At first she hated him and then he started to change and started to act romantically with her then all of a sudden he snapped and treated her worse than he did before. She didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive him for what he had done, but at this moment… with him lying there and most likely dead, she did not want him gone from this world. He had been strong and even to the end he wanted to save her. She hated herself for loving this terrible man. She would never forget what he had done, but she would love the gentle side of him that she had the honor of knowing.  
>She wept for the loss of what was supposed to be her true love. What would love be like after this? It would have to be dull and never satisfying like he was to her. She didn't think she would ever be able to move on from what had happened from her stay there at the castle with the feared warlord who had opened his heart after so much work on her part. She stroked her fingers through his fur then went up and tangled her fingers in his silky silver locks. More sobs escaped her as his death started to hit her harder. A piece of her already felt missing and it hurt so much that she could barely breathe.<p>

A faint of a sound made her stop her crying altogether. She lifted her head little by little and looked down at the still warlord and looked for any movements or breathing on his part. Nothing. Her chin and lip wobbled from more sobs that built up and wanted to spill out. Could it be that she imagined hearing a sound? She leaned her head back down and wept softly and refused to move from that spot as she tried to gather all her thoughts together. She didn't think she would ever be able to think straight again.  
>Another faint sound could be heard and she lifted her head and looked down at Sesshomaru then looked around the room then back at Sesshomaru as more tears spilled down her face. A loud gasp escaped her as a light shined around Sesshomaru's body and slowly he levitated into the air and was set up straight but his feet did not touch the ground and the way his head was leaned back and his arms slack, he was not conscious or even looked to be alive.<p>

"Don't take him away from me." She whispered sadly.

Could the magic be ridding his body from her? She at least wanted to give him a proper burial! But the light shined more around Sesshomaru and soon it got so bright that she could not even look at him directly. She groaned and looked down and covered her eyes with her hand and tried to peak a few times only to look away. Shimmering sounds could be heard and soon it grew to almost deafening as it continued and the light blazed brighter than before.  
>Soon the light faded and she was able to look back and see Sesshomaru standing on his feet and his golden eyes looking down at her. She looked up at him shocked and her mouth open. Could he really be alive? Did magic really bring him back to life or was this his spirit moving on and needed to say something before he moved onto the next world? Hesitantly she stood on her feet before him and waited for him to say something.<p>

"Are you scared?" he whispered.

She couldn't lie! She was scared to death and she had no idea what to say or what to even ask. She nodded her head only and watched as he raised his hand and looked down at one then the other and a little smile played on his lips. He looked so normal… like before, but even more beautiful and so… strong. His skin glowed from the morning light and his eyes were amber and full of life.

"It has been broken…" he whispered then turned and looked at the full length mirror that was close by them.

She watched as he examined himself for a few seconds then looked back at her and stared at her expecting her to say something. She opened her mouth then closed it and tried to moisten her dry mouth, but in the end it did not work. What was going on? He was dead! She thought he was dead! So she had said the words on time then?

"You're…alive?" she whispered shocked.

His eyes softened and a gentle smile played on his lips at her question. "I am. You do not seem shocked from my appearance."

She shook her head and played with her hands when all she wanted to do was play with his hair and see if he really was in front of her and she was not just going crazy and hallucinating things. "I have seen you this way many times." She replied back softly.

He tilted his head questioningly and took a timid step towards her but she stepped back and shook her head. "Do you still fear me?" he asked softly.

She nodded her head and looked away from him for a few seconds to gather her bearings and took a deep breath then looked up at him, "I wanted to save you and the castle. But I did not plan on staying. What you had done to me…" she whispered.

His shoulders sagged and he nodded once and let out a little sigh, "I understand." He whispered and took a step back.

"But what I said… I still mean it. I do love you. But I just can't forgive you right now. I still hurt and the mental wounds you had conflicted… will take a while to heal and scar. I don't know how long it will take… but I need to be away and be with my family. Live my life. Maybe visit as a friend." She explained nervously.

She felt horrible for having to tell him that but it had to be that way. She could not be around him and be reminded of the rape and the beatings he had done, even if he had gone savage and beastly… it was still him and his body. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the sad parting they will have. What did it mean for him? Will he live in solitude and no longer able to take another? Will she not be able to have her own love life? She couldn't imagine having a love life with someone else; she couldn't even stand the thought of someone even touching her intimately at that moment.

"If that is what you wish, I shall let you go." Sesshomaru said softly, his voice full of emotion.

She looked up at him and smiled half-heartedly and nodded, "It'll hurt won't it?"

He nodded again and frowned just a little and let out a little sigh, "In my culture we mark what is ours. I have not marked you as mine during our intimate times together. What we have is a connection and parted it will hurt and feel… uncomfortable for a while, but we can survive." He whispered sadly.

She nodded and took a step back and tumbled backwards as she hit against Kouga's corpse. Sesshomaru flew forward and grabbed onto her arms and stood her upright on her feet and backed away from her to give her space that she wanted. She smiled up at him and thanked him softly.

"I should go then." She said awkwardly.

"Will you allow me to escort you into your village? I must fix a few things with the villages…" he explained softly.

Kagome stood there nervously and anxiously nibbled on her lower lip as she thought of the outcomes of him going to her village with her. Would the people recognize him? He did say he had to fix a few things. Perhaps it was so that they knew he would not allow to be shunned no longer and would still protect them if they would allow it… even though he would make it happen. In that she believed in him. She smiled up at him and nodded. "Yeah, that would be nice."

The End

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